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SHAKESPEARE'S 
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 



JHacmillan'0 Pocket ISnglislb Classics, 



A Series of English Texts, edited for use in 

Secondary Schools, with Critical 

Introductions, Notes, etc. 



l6mo. 



Levanteen. 



25c. each. 



Macaulay's Essay on Addison. 
Macaulay's Essay on Milton. 
Tennyson's The Princess. 
Eliot's Silas Marner. 
Coleridge's The Ancient Mariner. 
Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. 
Burke's Speech on Conciliation. 
Pope's Homer's Iliad. 
Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield. 
Shakespeare's Macbeth. 
Addison's Sir Roger de Coverley. 
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. 
Dryden's Palamon and Arcite. 
Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. 
Milton's Comus, Lycidas, and Other Poems. 
Lowell's Vision of Sir Launfal. 
Milton's Paradise Lost, Books I and H. 
Browning's Shorter Poems. 



others to follow. 




WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 



SHAKESPEARE'S 



THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 



EDITED WITH NOTES AND AN INTRODUCTION 
BY 

CHARLOTTE WHIPPLE UNDEEWOOD 

INSTRUCTOR IN ENGLISH IN THE LEWIS INSTITUTE 
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 



THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 

1899 

L 
All rights reserved 







43227 

Copyright, 1899, 
By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. 



OPIES F^ECElVt 



SECOND COPY, 




Norfajofllf ^res3 

S. Gushing & Co. - Berwick & Smith 
Norwood Mass. U.S.A. 



PREFACE 

This edition of The Merchant of Venice conies 
into being because of the pleasure I have found in 
teaching Shakespeare to classes of boys and girls in 
secondary schools, and because I have felt the need 
of giving such classes certain questions and sugges- 
tions to help them in their study. 

The teacher of fiction aims to secure from pupils 
a thoughtful, accurate interpretation of an author's 
words, and at the same time to arouse an enthusiastic 
interest in the characters portrayed. To know life is 
the great end of all literary study, and nothing else 
is important except as it finally serves this end. In 
my own teaching of Shakespeare, I have found that 
a careful study of the poet's meaning never failed to 
strengthen interest in his characters. I am convinced, 
therefore, that classes, especially those just beginning 



viu PREFACE 

to study Shakespeare, need to give more thouglit than 
they often do to the author's language. It is frequently 
desirable to require from a student the paraphrase of 
a difficult passage. The dangers of this practice may 
be fully counteracted by the memorizing of many 
quotations, and by the reading of many passages 
aloud. 

The practice of reading aloud from the play is 
always to be commended. Far more valuable to 
the pupil often than any explanation and study is 
the hearing of some passage appreciatively read by a 
teacher. When the play has been carefully worked 
over line by line, when its characters have been dis- 
cussed in all possible relations and from every con- 
ceivable point of view, even when long quotations have; 
been committed to memory, still the class has not 
come fully into its inheritance until the whole play, 
or the most of it, has been read aloud, — whole scenes 
and whole acts at a time, — and that by pupils who 
have previously rehearsed their parts with spirit and 
expression. 



The notes in tMs edition do not pretend to give 
facts that may be found in such a book as Webster's 
Academic Dictionary. They do, however, aim to give 
much condensed information for which the student 
might otherwise need to refer to Classical Diction- 
aries and similar sources. Many of the notes are 
in the form of questions, not because each teacher 
may not find much better ones himself for his own 
students, but because these may serve to direct the 
class in its study and to show it what to study for. 

In preparing this edition my aim has been merely 
to present existing knowledge in a form adapted to 
classes in secondary schools. This work would not 
have been possible without the help of Dr. Furness' 
Variorum, of Dr. Schmidt's Shakespeare Lexicon, of 
Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar, of Halliwell- 
Phillips' OiLtlines of the Life of Shakespeare, of Sy- 
monds' Shakespere^s Predecessors in the English 
Drama, and of Sydney Lee's Life of Shakespeare. 
Where I have quoted from the Variorum or from 
Schmidt, I have not usually stated my authority. 



X , PREFACE 

unless I have given long passages verbatim. I am 
indebted for very helpful suggestions to many other 
school editions of Shakespeare, especially to the ex- 
cellent one of this play by Professor Katharine Lee 
Bates of Wellesley, and to the one of Macbeth by 
Head Professor Manly of the University of Chicago. 

I wish to express my gratitude to several friends 
for criticism and encouragement: to Mr. C. W. 
French, Principal of the Hyde Park High School, 
Chicago, and to my colleagues, Miss Jane F. Koble 
and Miss Julia F. Dumke. For his kind interest 
and invaluable assistance I desire especially to thank 
Dr. E. H. Lewis, Professor of English in Lewis 
Institute. 

c. w. u. 

Chicago, July 17, 1899. 



INTRODUCTION 



The Elizabethan Age 

The Awakening of England. — England awoke to a 
new life in the last years of the sixteenth century. It 
was an era of expansion. In this age, the age of 
Queen Elizabeth and William Shakespeare, the uni- 
versities of England were enriched by the newly 
found treasures of ancient learning; the territory 
controlled by the British Crown was many times 
multiplied by the discovery of new continents be- 
yond the sea; her foes were overthrown and van- 
quished ; and peace and prosperity blessed her people. 
As the warmth and joy of spring comes after the 
gloom of a long, cold winter, so came the Elizabethan 
Age in England. 

The New Learning. — Eor centuries the legends and 
lore of G-reece and Eome had been lost to Europe. 
In 1453, about a hundred years before the birth of 
Shakespeare, the city of Constantinople was captured 



xii INTRODUCTION 

by the Turks. This city, the capital of the Eastern 
Roman Empire, had long been the rendezvous of 
Greek scholars. Upon the fall of Constantinople 
these scholars, carrying with them many precious 
manuscripts of the Greek and Latin masters, came to 
the cities of western Europe, especially to Italy. There 
universities sprang up, and students revelled in the 
long-lost poetry and philosophy of the classics. Soon 
learned scholars came from Italy to England to teach 
in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In re- 
turn, English scholars and gentlemen visited Florence, 
Padua, Venice, and Eome, and coming back to Eng- 
land brought to their countrymen Italian tales- and 
old romances. Happiest of all happy coincidences, 
printing had lately been discovered, and the new liter- 
ature was soon spread broadcast in the libraries and 
on the bookstalls of London. 

Exploration. — This revival of learning, or the Re- 
naissance, as it is called, was accompanied by a most 
wonderful series of maritime explorations and adven- 
tures. Aroused by a new interest in life, men became 
anxious to satisfy their curiosity and ambition in 
searching for new lands and fabled treasures. In 
less than fifty years after the fall of Constantinople 
Columbus had discovered America. Discovery fol- 
lowed upon discovery, and colonization and commerce 
rapidly progressed. By the middle of the sixteenth 



INTRODUCTION xiil 

century England was fully aware of the boundless 
opportunities for conquest and expansion that lay be- 
fore her in the new world beyond the seas. 

The Defeat of the Armad^. — England was not yet 
free, however, to enjoy her new possessions unmo- 
lested. Spain disputed with her the sovereignty of 
the seas. About the middle of Elizabeth's reign a 
crisis came, brought on chiefly because of a difference 
in religious thought, and Protestant England and 
Catholic Spain fell to blows. The Spanish fitted out 
that great fleet, known as the Invincible Armada, and 
advanced to annihilate their northern foe ; but Eng- 
lish battle-ships and ocean storms wrought destruction 
on them, and England became the Mistress of the 



The Effect of the Victory. — The effect of the victory 
was intoxicating. Every soldier in the English army 
and navy felt that he had helped to win this glory for 
his country and his queen. Many a sailor spread his 
canvas with pride and hopefully sailed away to India 
in the east, or America in the west, in order that he 
might bring back riches for himself and for his sover- 
eign. From all over the world came travellers, mer- 
chants, scholars, artists, poets, "as o'er a brook," to 
talk and trade, and often to tarry long in the gay 
thoroughfares of London. Bright garments and rich 
quaint costumes filled the streets of that city. Merry- 



XIV INTRODUCTION 

making was abroad from morning till night. The 
queen entered heartily into the happy enthusiasm of 
her people, and led them in it. " Merrie England " 
justified its name. 

Peace. — After the defeat of the Armada years of 
peace came to England. Eor a while no foreign foe 
dared molest this country ; the dangers of civil disor- 
der, both political and religious, were deftly avoided 
by the firm yet gentle guidance of the queen. When 
life was so full, when there was so much to think 
about that was new, so many new thihgs to do, peace 
was most welcome. Chief blessing of all, the energy 
and charm of this age was to be forever enshrined 
in its literature, a literature made immortal by the 
genius of a Spenser, and that of a Shakespeare. 

The Life of Shakespeare 

Birthplace and Parents. — In the very heart of old 
England is a village known and loved to-day all over 
the world — Stratford-on-Avon. The river that flows 
by its church has lost none of its beauty since William 
Shakespeare wandered along its banks, nor has the 
surrounding country become greatly altered. John 
Shakespeare, father of the poet, was apparently a 
humble tradesman, a glover, in this village. In 1557 
he married Mary Arden, the heiress of a wealthy 



INTRODUCTION xv 

farmer in the vicinity, and in conseqnence of the 
marriage a change seems to have taken place in his 
fortunes. This union not only brought him prosperity 
and wealth, but it seems to have advanced his political 
standing, and we find him in 1568 the High Bailiff, 
or Mayor, of Stratford. 

It is difficult to appreciate the social conditions of 
those days. The one-roomed farmhouse from which 
Mary Arden came was such a one as would be con- 
sidered to-day better suited to animals than to men. 
There were no pictures, although their place was sup- 
plied by a few painted cloths, on which scenes from 
the Bible were rudely depicted. A book, unless a copy 
of the catechism or a prayer-book, was never seen 
within that house. There was no crockery, forks had 
not yet been introduced into England, and table-knives 
and spoons were very scarce. The conditions in Strat- 
ford were probably a little better ; the house to which 
John Shakespeare brought his bride was divided into 
several rooms, was well lighted, and was comparatively 
comfortable. Yet so poor was the drainage in this 
town, that here, as in the cities, the plague made fre- 
quent and fearful ravages. If in the homes of the 
nobility and in the queen's palace there was more of 
wealth and display, it cannot be said that even there 
the ordinary conveniences of existence were any greater 
than in the houses of the townspeople. 



XVI INTRODUCTION 

Boyhood. — William Shakespeare, born in 1564, was 
the oldest of a family of six children. We can easily 
imagine what his early years must have been in that 
simple country village. Probably he went to the free 
grammar school when he was about seven years old. 
Here he studied, in addition to the three R's, a little 
Latin, perhaps a little Greek. His father suffered a 
reverse of fortune when William was thirteen, and it 
appears that the boy was soon taken out of school and 
apprenticed to learn some trade. School and business, 
nevertheless, did not fill the lad's mind to the exclu- 
sion of nature and boyish sports. It is only necessary 
to know the poet himself, in order to be sure of this 
fact. There was, it is likely, one form of amusement 
that he never failed to appreciate. This was seeing 
the plays that strolling bands of actors performed in 
Stratford and in the neighboring towns. These com- 
panies either brought their rude stage along with them 
on wheels, of acted in the yard of the tavern or 
in the town hall. Their plays were mostly of the 
kind known as Moralities, in which the actors, like 
the personages of an allegory, represented the different 
virtues and vices. Such plays, perhaps, did not seem 
so dull to Shakespeare as they would to us, but even 
if they did, there was better acting in the town of 
Coventry, only twenty miles from Stratford. This 
town was famous for its Miracle plays. The Miracles, 



INTRODUCTION XVil 

or Mysteries, were plays based • oa Bible narratives. 
E;ude and grotesque as were the costumes and the act- 
ing, the scenes were very real to the spectators. The 
people who witnessed the representation of the sacrifice 
of Isaac, the carrying off of sinners into the horrible 
flames of Hell-Mouth, or the sufferings and crucifixion 
of Christ, felt no lack of tragedy and passion in the 
dramas presented to them. Neither was the comic 
element wanting ; the devil and his demons furnished 
all needed fun, and that of the most boisterous kind. 
Finally, there was Kenilvvorth castle, fifteen miles 
north of Stratford, and it was here, when Shakespeare 
was only a boy of eleven, that the great Queen Eliza- 
beth came for a visit, with display of processions 
and gorgeous pageantry. Think you that any wide- 
awake youngster of Stratford would have failed to see 
something of such attractions as these ? 

Marriage and Departure for London. — When he was 
only eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, 
a young woman seven or eight years older than him- 
self. The couple seem to have made their home in 
Stratford. In the year after the marriage a daughter 
was born, and two years later, twins, a boy and a 
girl. Whether he found it difficult to support this 
little family by means of such employment as his 
native town afforded, or whether, as tradition tells, 
Shakespeare got into difficulties with a certain Sir 



xviil INTRODUCTION 

Thomas Lucy for stealing deer from that gentleman's 
park, certain it is that the young man left his family 
in Stratford about the year 1585, and departed to try 
his fortune in London. 

London and London Theatres. — We have already 
taken a glance at London in the Elizabethan age ; it 
is not difficult to appreciate what a school its very 
streets must have been to one whose wits were sharp 
and whose nature was social. No college training, 
no study of any kind could have been so powerful in 
the development of the poet, as was intercourse with 
the men with whom he was to become acquainted in 
London. When he entered the city, however, Shake- 
speare had no prestige, probably no friends, and worse 
than all no money to speak of. There is an ill-founded 
tradition that he secured employment at first in car- 
ing for the horses on which the gallants of the city 
rode from their homes to the theatres. Another 
tradition says that he was a prompter's assistant on 
the stage. However this may have been, it is apparent 
that soon after his arrival in London Shakespeare 
became associated with some of the theatres. The 
only play-houses then belonging to London were two 
small unroofed wooden structures in the fields outside 
the city gates. The plays were acted by daylight on 
stages devoid of scenery, where little but a placard 
announced the change of place from act to act. On the 



INTRODUCTION xix 

stage itself sat the gay gallants of the town, smoking 
and laughing, and joking the boy actors who appeared 
in the character of women. Those not favored with 
seats of such prominence found places in the galleries, 
or stood with the jostling crowd on the ground below. 
Yet rude as was the play-house, scholars and poets were 
turning their attention to the plays, and the theatres 
did not fail to attract crowds of citizens. The drama 
had already won favor with the queen, who soon gained 
the reputation of loving plays as much as she loved 
the ostentation of her court and of her own apparel. 

Life as an Actor and Playwright. — Two years after 
Shakespeare came to London he had formed some con- 
nection with the theatres, but not until five years later 
is there any record of what he was doing. Then (1592) 
we find that he had already become known as an actor, 
and that his popularity as a writer of plays was exciting 
the jealousy of other London dramatists, one of whom 
referred to him as " an upstart crow, beautified with our 
feathers . . . and being, ... in his owne conceit, the 
only Shakes-scene in a countrie." From now on until 
a few years before his death (1616) Shakespeare was 
continually acting with some of the theatrical com- 
panies, playing before the queen in her palace on holi- 
days, — especially in the Christmas time, — wandering 
from one town to another with the players when their 
services were not required in the capital, and all the 



XX INTRODUCTION 

time revising old plays and turning old stories into 
new plays of his own. Below is given a list ^ of the 
plays in the approximate order of their composition. 

1. Pre-Shakespearian Group. 

{Touched hy Shakespeare.) 
Titus Andronicus (1588-90) .2 

1 Henry VI. (1590-91). 

% Early Comedies. 

Love's Labour's Lost (1590). 
Comedy of Errors (1591). 
Two Gentlemen of Verona (1592-93). 
Midsummer Night's Dream (1593-94). 

3. Marlowe-Shakespeare Group : Early History. 

2 and 3 Henry VI. (1591-92). 
Richard III. (1593). 

4. Early Tragedy. 

Romeo and Juliet (? two dates, 1591, 1596-97). 

5. Middle History. 

Richard II. (1594). 
King John (1595). 

6. Middle Comedy. 

Merchant of Venice (1596). 

1 From Dowden's Shakespeare Primer. 

2 Sidney Lee {Life of Shakespeare) says that Titus Androni- 
cus was composed soon after 1592, 



^ 



INTRODUCTION X2 

7. Later History. 

History and Comedy united. 
1 and 2 Henry IV. (1597-98). 
Henry Y. (1599). 

8. Later Comedy. 

(a) Bough and boisterous Comedy. 
Taming of the Shrew (? 1597). 
Merry Wives (? 1598). 

(b) Joyous^ refined^ romantic. 
Much Ado about Nothing (1598). 
As You Like It (1599). 
Twelfth Night (1600-01). 

(c) Serious, dark, ironical. 
All's Well (? 1601-02).! 
Measure for Measure (1603). 

Troilus and Cressida (? 1603 ; revised 1607 ?) 

9. Middle Tragedy. 

Julius Caesar (1601). 
Hamlet (1602). 

10. Later Tragedy. 

Othello (1604). 

Lear (1605). 

Macbeth (1606). 

Antony and Cleopatra (1607). 

Coriolanus (1608). 

Timon (1607-08). 

1 Sidney Lee assigns this play to 1595. 



xxii INTRODUCTION 

11. Romances. 

Pericles (1608). 
Cymbeline (1609). 
Tempest (1610). 
Winter's Tale (1610-11). 

12. Fragments. 

Two Noble Kinsmen (1612). 
Henry VIII. (1612-13). 

Retirement to Stratford, and Death. — When John 
Shakespeare chose his son William as the boy of all 
his family best adapted to a business life, and took 
him from school to apprentice him to a trade, he 
proved that his own judgment was sound. The man 
who had entered London in 1585 not only rose to fame 
as an author in less than fifteen years, but in that 
same time acquired for himself a respectable fortune, 
and purchased a handsome estate in Stratford, i^fter 
1598 the poet is known in the village records as 
"William Shakespere of Stratford-on-Avon, in the 
county of Warwick, gentleman." One bitter sorrow 
had come to him amidst all the success of these years, 
for in 1596 he lost his little boy, Hamnet. This 
loss must have been a heavy blow to him, but he kept 
on working in London, and it is very doubtful if he 
spent much of his time away from the city during the 
next fifteen years. In 1601 his father died. In 1607 



INTBODUCTION XXlll 

and 1608 he was obliged to part with his youngest 
brother and with his mother. Early in the latter 
year, however, the birth of a granddaughter sent a 
ray of sunshine into the darkness. Thus he lived and 
worked, amid joy and sorrow, hoping for the time 
when he might forever leave the noisy city for the 
quiet Stratford home. At last in 1611 his expecta- 
tions were realized, but only five years after the happy 
home life had actually begun, he was called upon to 
leave all on earth that was dear to him and to lay 
down his hopes and his labors forever. He died in 
April, 1616. 

Pictures of Shakespeare. — Shakespeare was buried 
in the village church of Stratford. On the stone slab 
that covers his grave are some lines, once thought to 
have been written by himself. 

" Good frend, for Jesus sake forbears 
To digg the dust encloased heare : 
Bleste be the man that spares thes stones, 
And curst be he that moves my bones." 

In this same church, not long after his death, a bust 
of Shakespeare was erected by his daughter and her 
husband. This bust is supposed to have been once a 
good likeness of the poet ; some think that the artist 
had as his model a mask taken from Shakespeare's 
face. Time, however, has sadly marred the bust in 



XXIV INTRODUCTION 

the Stratford church. There is one other likeness, a 
portrait, regarded as fairly authentic, which in 1623 
was prefixed to the first collective edition of Shake- 
speare's works. A copy of this portrait forms the 
frontispiece of the present edition of The Merchant 
of Venice. 

The Fate of his Works. — Of the house that Shake- 
speare meant to be the home of his last years, hardly 
one stone remains upon another. His line of descent 
became extinct with the death of his granddaughter 
in 1670. His works, however, remain, although many 
have been the dangers through which they have 
passed. At the time in which Shakespeare was writ- 
ing his plays in London, the theatrical managers and 
agents for whom he wrote were not usually willing to 
let the manuscripts of plays fall into the hands of 
printers. The deputies of leading publishers, never- 
theless, frequently visited the play-houses, and sought 
by a system of shorthand notes to steal the words 
from the actors' lips. Many a spurious and garbled 
edition was thus thrown upon the market. Some- 
times also in self-defence the author was obliged to 
deliver his manuscript to the printer. Even when 
the manuscript could be obtained, it was doubtless 
often hard to decipher it because of the many changes 
and notes that had been inserted during rehearsals. 
These earlier editions were called " quartos " from the 



INTRODUCTION XXV 

size of the pages. They were pamphlets measuring on 
the average 8^ by 5-|- inches. It was not until 1623, 
seven years after Shakespeare's death, that any effort 
was made to print an edition of all his works. In 
this year two of his most intimate friends, themselves 
formerly actors with him, attempted such an edition, 
which is known as the " first folio." The folio meas- 
ured about 12 by 8 inches. Some of the plays in this 
book had doubtless never been published before, and 
were taken directly from Shakespeare's manuscript, 
or from stage copies of the manuscripts. Others are 
known to have been reprints of quartos. Among this 
latter number was The Merchant of Venice. This 
was twice issued as a quarto by different printers in 
the year 1600, and the text of the second quarto the 
editors of the folio virtually copied in their edition. 

The Language of the Plays. — Although in some 
passages we have not exactly the words written by 
Shakespeare, we are not often justified in thinking 
that the text as we possess it has mistakes in it. 
Furthermore, we must not esteem Shakespeare incor- 
rect when we find him using words and constructions 
contrary to the canons of modern dictionaries and 
grammars. The difference that exists between his 
language and ours is caused chiefly by the changes 
that the English language as a whole has undergone. 
Let one glance at a page of Chaucer, written nearly 



XXVI INTRODUCTION 

five hundred years ago, and English though it be, he 
will find that he almost needs a translation. Here are 
the first lines of Chaucer's most famous poem : — 

" Whan that Aprille with his showres sote 
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote, 
And bathed every veyne in swich licour, 
Of which vertu engendred is the flour ; " 

Or, let the student read a page of Poor Richard^ s Alma- 
nack, written by Franklin about a hundred years ago. 
Even in Franklin there is unfamiliar spelling, and many 
a strange, old-fashioned phrase. All this goes to prove 
that language is constantly changing, constantly add- 
ing new Avords and dropping old ones. Some words, 
moreover, although they are not entirely dropped from 
the language, lose certain meanings which they once 
possessed, and are not now easily understood when 
used with their obsolete signification. Shakespeare 
wrote his plays not only three hundred years ago, but 
at a time when the English language was subject to 
many influences that were rapidly changing it from 
the ancient to the modern form. Many peculiarities 
are therefore to be expected. 



THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 



[The text used is that of the Cambridge edition] 



DRAMATIS PERSONS 



The Duke op Venice. 

The Prince of Morocco, | .^ ^ r, ^. 
_, _ . \ siuiors to Portia. 

The Prince of Arragon, ) 

Antonio, a merchant of Vetiice. 

Bassanio, Ms friend, suitor likewise to Portia. 

Salanio, "I 

Salarino, 

Gratiano 

Salerio, J 

Lorenzo, in love with Jessica. 

Shylock, a rich Jetc. 

Tubal, a Jexo, his friend. 

Launcelot Gobbo, the clown, servant to Shylock. 

Old Gobbo, father to Latoncelot. 

Leonardo, servant to Bassanio. 

BALTHASAR, I u . n w 

\ servants to Port%a. 
Stephano, ) 

Portia, a rich heiress. 
Nerissa, her waiting-viaid. 
Jessica, daughter to Shylock. 

Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Gaoler, Servants, 
to Portia, and other Attendants. 

Scene: Partly at Venice, and partly at Belmont, the seat of Portia, 
on the Continents 



THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 

ACT FIEST. — Scene I 

Venice ° A street. 
Enter Antonio,° Salakino, and Salanio. 

Aiit. In sooth, I know not why I am so sad : 
It° wearies me ; you say it wearies you ; 
But how I caught it, found it, or came by ,it,° 
What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, 
I am to learn ; 

And such a want-wit° sadness makes of me. 
That I have much ado to know myself. 

Solar. Your mind is tossing on the ocean° ; 
There, where your argosies° with portly sail. 
Like signiors° and rich burghers° on the flood. 
Or, as it were, the pageants° of the sea, • 
Do overpeer the petty traffickers 



4 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

That curt'sy° to them, do them reverence, 
As they fly by them with their woven wings. ° 

Solan. Believe me, sir, had I such venture forth, 
The better part of my affections would 
Be with my hopes abroad.^ I should be stilF 
Plucking the grass,° to know where sits the wind ; 
Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and roads ; ° 
And every object, that might make me fear 20 

Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt 
Would make me sad. 

Solar. My wind, cooling my broth, 

Would blow me to an ague, when I thought 
What harm a wind too great at sea might do. 
I should not see the sandy hour-glass run, 
But I should think of shallows and of flats. 
And see my wealthy Andrew dock'd in sand 
Yailing° her high top lower than her ribs 
To kiss her burial. ° Should I go to church 
And see the holy edifice of stone, 30 

And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks, 
Which touching but my gentle vessel's side 
Would scatter all her spices on the stream, 
Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks ; 
And, in a word, but even now worth this,° 
And now worth nothing ? Shall I have the thought'' 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 5 

To think on this ; and shall I lack the thought," 
That such a thing° bechanced would make me sad ? 
But tell not me ; I know, Antonio ° 
Is sad to think° upon his merchandise. 40 

Ant. Believe me, no : I thank my fortune for it, 
My ventures are not in one bottom" trusted. 
Nor to one place ; nor is my whole estate 
Upon the fortune of this present year : 
Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad. 

Solar. Why, then you are in love. 

Ant. Fie, fie ! 

Salar. Not" in love neither" ? Then let us say you 
are sad, 
Because you are not merry : and 'twere as easy 
For you to laugh, and leap, and say you are merry, 
Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed 
Janus," 50 

Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time : 
Some that will evermore peep through their eyes, 
And laugh like parrots at a bag-piper ; 
And other of such vinegar aspect," 
That they'll not show their teeth in way of" smile, 
Though Nestor" swear the jest be laughable. 



6 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

Enter Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gtratiano. 

Salan. Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kins- 
man,° 
Gratiano, and Lorenzo. Eare ye well : 
We leave you now with better company. 

Solar. I would have stay'd till I had made you 
merry, 60 

If worthier friends had not prevented" me. 

Ant. Your worth is very dear in my regard. 
I take it, your own business calls on you, 
And you embrace the occasion to depart. 
Salar. Good morrow, my good lords. 
Bass. Good signiors both, when shall we laugh°? 
say, when? 
You grow exceeding" strange" : must it be so ? 

Salar. We'll make our leisures to attend on yours. 
\^.Exeunt Salarino ayid Salanio. 
Lor. My Lord Bassanio, since you have found 
Antonio, 
We two will leave you : but, at dinner-time, 70 

I pray you, have in mind where we must meet. 
Bass. I will not fail you. 
Gra. You look not well, Siguier Antonio ; 
You have too much respect" upon the world : 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 7 

They lose° it that do buy it with much care : 
Believe me, you are marvellously changed. 

Ayit. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano° ; 
A stage, where every man must play a part,° 
And mine a sad one. 

Gra. Let me play the f ool° : 

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come ; 8c 
And let my liver rather heat with wine 
Than my heart cool with mortifying" groans. 
Why should a man, whose blood is warm within. 
Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster ? 
Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice 
By being peevish ? I tell thee what, Antonio — 
I love thee, and it is my love that speaks, — 
There are a sort of men, whose visages 
Do cream° and mantle° like a standing pond ; 
And do a wilful stillness entertain," 9c 

With purpose" to be dress'd in an opinion" 
Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit" ; 
As who" should say, " I am Sir Oracle, 
And, when I ope my lips, let no dog bark ! " 
O my Antonio, I do know of these. 
That therefore only" are reputed wise 
For saying nothing ; when, I am very sure. 
If they should speak, would" almost damn those ears, 



8 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

Whicli,° hearing them, would call their brothers fools. 
I'll tell thee more of this another time : loo 

But fish not, with this melancholy bait, 
For this fool gudgeon,° this opinion. 
Come, good Lorenzo. Fare ye well awhile : 
I'll end my exhortation after dinner. ° 

Lor. Well, we will leave you,° then, till dinner-time : 
I must be one of these same dumb wise men, 
For Gratiano never lets me speak. 

Gra. Well, keep me company but two years moe,° 
Thou shalt not know the sound of thine own tongue. 

Ant. Farewell : I'll grow a talker for this gear.° no 

Gra. Thanks, i' faith ; for silence is only commend- 
able 
In a neat's tongue dried. 

[Exeunt Gratiano and Lorenzo. 

Ant. Is that anything now ? 

Bass. Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, 
more than any man in all Venice. /^His reasons are 
as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff : 
you shall seek all day ere you find them : and when 
you have them, they are not worth the search. 

Ant. Well, tell me now, what lady is the same 
To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage, 120 

That you to-day promised to tell me of ? 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 9 

Bass. 'Tis not unknown to you, Antonio, 
How mucli I have disabled mine estate, 
By something" showing a more swelling port 
Than my faint means would grant continuance : 
ISTor do I now make moan to be abridged" 
From such a noble rate ; but my chief care 
Is, to come fairly off from the great debts, 
Wherein my time,° something too prodigal, 
Hath left me gaged. To you, Antonio, 130 

I owe the most, in money and in love ; 
And from your love I have a warranty 
To unburthen all my plots and purposes 
How to get clear of all the debts I owe. 

Ant. I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it ; 
And if it stand, as you yourself still do. 
Within the eye of ° honour, be assured. 
My purse, my person, my extremest means. 
Lie all unlock'd to your occasions. 

Bass. In my school-days, when I had lost one 
shaft, 140 

I shot his fellow of the self -same flight" 
The self -same way with more advised" watch. 
To find the other forth ; and by adventuring both, 
I oft found both : I urge this childhood proof, 
Because what follows is pure innocence." 



10 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

I owe you much ; and, like a wilful youth, 

That which I owe is lost : but if you please 

To shoot another arrow that self ° way 

Which you did shoot the first, I do not doubt, 

As° I will watch the aim, or° to find both, 150 

Or° bring your latter hazard back again. 

And thankfully rest debtor for the first. 

Ant. You know me well ; and herein spend but time 
To wind about my love with circumstance" ; 
And out of doubt you do me now more wrong° 
In making question" of my uttermost. 
Than if you had made waste of all I have : 
Then do but say to me what I should do. 
That in your knowledge may by me be done, 
And I am prest° unto it : therefore, speak. 160 

Bass. In Belmont is a lady richly left ; 
And she is fair, and, fairer than that word,° 
Of wondrous virtues : sometimes" from her eyes 
I did receive fair speechless messages : 
Her name is Portia ; nothing undervalued 
To Cato's daughter, Brutus' Portia" : 
Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth ; 
For the four winds blow in from every coast 
Kenowned suitors : and her sunny locks" 
Hang on her temples like a golden fleece" ; 170 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 11 

Whicli makes her seat of Belmont Colchos' strond, 
And many Jasons come in quest of her.' 

my Antonio, had I but the means 

To hold a rival place with one° of them, 

1 have a mind presages° me such thrift. 
That I should questionless be fortunate ! 

Ant. Thou know'st that all my fortunes are at sea ; 
Neither have I money, nor commodity 
To raise a present sum : therefore go forth ; 
Try what my credit can in Venice do : i8* 

That shall be rack'd, even to the uttermost, 
To furnish thee to Belmont, to fair Portia. 
Go, presently° inquire, and so will I, 
Where money is ; and I no question make, 
To have it of my trust,° or for my sake.° [_Exeunt. 

SCEXE II. 

Belmont ° A room in Portia's house. 

Enter Portia° aiid ISTerissa.^ 

Por. By my troth,° Kerissa, my little body is aweary 

of this great world. 
Ner. You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries 
were in the same abundance as yoar good fortunes 



12 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

are: and yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that 
surfeit with too much, as they that starve with noth- 
ing. It is no mean happiness, therefore, to be seated 
in the mean°: superfluity" comes sooner by white 
hairs ; but competency" lives longer. 

Por. Good sentences, and well pronounced." lo 

Ner. They would be better, if well followed. 

Por. If to do were as easy as to know what were 
good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor 
men's cottages princes' palaces. It is a good divine 
that follows his own instructions : I can easier teach 
twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the 
twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may 
devise laws for the blood ; but a hot temper" leaps 
o'er a cold decree : such a hare is madness the youth, 
to skip o'er the meshes of good counsel the cripple.° 20 
But this reasoning is not in the fashion to choose me 
a husband. me, the word " choose " ! I may neither 
choose whom I would, nor refuse whom I dislike ; so 
is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of 
a dead father. Is it not hard, ISTerissa, that I cannot 
choose one, nor" refuse none" ? 

Ner. Your father was ever virtuous ; and holy men, 
at their death, have good inspirations : therefore, the 
lottery, that he hath devised in these three chests of 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 13 

gold, silver, and lead, — whereof who chooses his 30 
meaning chooses you, — will, no doubt, never be chosen 
by any rightly, but one who shall rightly love. But 
what warmth is there in your affection towards any 
of these princely suitors that are already come ? 

Pot. I pray thee, over-name° them ; and as thou 
namest them, I will describe them ; and, according to 
my description, leveF at my affection. 

Ner. First, there is the Neapolitan prince. 

Pot. Ay, that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but 
talk of his horse ; and he makes it a great appropriation° 40 
to his own good parts, that he can shoe him himself. 

Ner. Then there is the County° Palatine. ° 

Por. He doth nothing but frown ; as who should° 
say, "If you will not have me, choose°:" he hears 
merry tales, and smiles not : I fear he will prove the 
weeping philosopher° when he grows old, being so full 
of unmannerly sadness° in his youth. I had rather 
be married to a death's-head with a bone in his mouth 
than to either of these. God defend me from these two ! 

Ner. How say you by° the French lord. Monsieur 50 
Le Bon ? 

Por. God made him, and therefore let him pass for 
a man. In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker : 
but, he ! — why, he hath a horse better than the Nea- 



14 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

politan's; a better bad liabit of frowning than the 
Count Palatine : he is every man in no man ; if a 
throstle sing, he falls straight a capering : he will 
fence with his own shadow : if I should marry him, 
I should marry twenty husbands. If he would despise 
me, I would forgive him ; for if he love me to mad- 60 
ness, I shall never requite° him. 

Ner. What say you, then, to Ealconbridge, the 
young baron of England ? 

Por. You know I say nothing to him; for he° 
understands not me, nor I him : he hath neither 
Latin, French, nor Italian; and you will come into 
the court and swear that I have a poor pennyworth 
in the English. He is a proper° man's picture ; but, 
alas, who can converse with a dumb-show ? How oddly 
he is suited" ! I think he bought his doublet in Italy, 70 
his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and 
his behaviour everywhere. 

Ner. What think you of the Scottish lord, his 
neighbour ? 

Por. That he hath a neighbourly charity in him; 
for he borrowed a box of the ear of the Englishman, 
and swore he would pay him again when he was able : 
I think the Frenchman became his surety, and sealed 
under° for another. 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 15 

Ner. How like you the young German, the Duke 80 
of Saxony's nephew ? 

Por. Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober ; 
and most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk : 
when he is best, he is a little worse than a man ; and 
when he is worst, he is little better than a beast : an° 
the worst fair that ever fell, I hope I shall make 
shift to go without him. 

Ner. If he should offer to choose, and choose the 
right casket, you should refuse to perform your 
father's will, if you should refuse to accept him. 90 

Por. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, 
set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary^ 
casket ; for, if the devil be within and that tempta- 
tion without, I know he will choose it. I will do 
anything, Nerissa, ere I'll be married to a sponge. 

Ner, You need not fear, lady, the having any of 
these lords : they have acquainted me with their 
determinations ; which is, indeed, to return to their 
home, and to trouble you with no more suit, unless 
you may be won by some other sort° than your father's 100 
imposition," depending on the caskets. 

Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla,° I will die as 
chaste as Diana,° unless I be obtained by the manner 
of my father's will. I am glad this parcel of wooers 



16 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

are so reasonable ; for there is not one among them 
but I dote on his very absence ; and I pray God grant 
them a fair departure. 

Ner. Do you not remember, lady, in your father's 
time, a Venetian, a scholar, and a soldier, that came 
hither in company of the Marquis of Montferrat ? no 

Por. Yes, yes, it was Bassanio ; as I think he was 
so called. 

Ner. True, madam : he, of all the men that ever 
ray foolish eyes looked upon, was the best deserving a 
fair lady. 

Por. I remember him well ; and I remember him 
worthy of thy praise. 

Enter a Serving-man. 

How now ! what news ? 

Serv. The four° strangers seek for you, madam, to 
take their leave : and there is a forerunner come from 120 
a fifth, the Prince of Morocco ; who brings word, the 
prince his master will be here to-night. 

Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good 
a heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should 
be glad of his approach : if he have the condition° of 
a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he 
should shrive me than wive me. 



Scene 3.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 17 

Come, Nerissa. Sirrah, go before. 
Whiles we shut the gates upon one wooer, another 
knocks at the door. \_Exeunt. 

Scene III. 

Venice. A public place ° 

Enter Bassanio and Shylock.° 

Shy. Three thousand ducats° ; welL 

Bass. Ay, sir, for three months. 

Shy. For three months ; welL 

Bass. For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall 
be bound. 

Shy. Antonio shall become bound ; well. 

Bass. May you" stead me ? will you pleasure me ? 
shall I know your answer ? 

Shy. Three thousand ducats for three months, and 
Antonio bound. i 

Bass. Your answer to that. 

Shy. Antonio is a good° man. 

Bass. Have you heard any imputation to the con- 
trary ? 

Shy. Ho, no, no, no, no : my meaning, in saying he 
is a good man, is to have you understand me, that he 
is suflS.cient. Yet his means are in supposition: 



18 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

he hath, an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the 
Indies ; I understand, moreover, upon the Eialto,° he 
hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and 20 
other ventures he hath, squandered" abroad. But 
ships are but boards, sailors but men : there be land- 
rats and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves, I 
mean pirates ; and then there is the peril of waters, 
winds, and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, suffi- 
cient. Three thousand ducats; I think I may take 
his bond. 

Bass. Be assured you may. 

Shy. I will be assured" I may ; and, that I may be as- 
sured, I will bethink me. May I speak with Antonio ? 30 

Bass. If it please you to dine with us. 

Shy. Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation 
which your prophet the Nazarite° conjured the devil 
into.° I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with 
you, walk with you, and so following ; but I will not 
eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. 
What news on the Rialto ? Who is he comes here ? 

Enter Antonio. 

Bass. This is Signior Antonio. 
Shy. [Aside] How like a fawning" publican" he looks ! ° 
I hate him for he is a Christian ; 40 



Scene 3.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 19 

But more for that in low simplicity 

He lends out money gratis and brings down 

The rate of usance° here with us in Venice. 

If I can catch him once upon the hip,° 

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. 

He hates our sacred nation ; and he rails,° 

Even there where merchants most do congregate, 

On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,° 

Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe, 

If I forgive him ! 

Bass. Shylock, do you hear ? 50 

Shy. I am debating of my present store ; 
And, by the near guess of my memory, 
I cannot instantly raise up the gross 
Of full three thousand ducats. What of that ? 
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe, 
Will furnish me. But soft ! how many months 
Do you desire? [To Ant.] Best you fair, good 

signior ; 
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.° 

Ant. Shylock, although I neither lend nor borrow, 
By taking nor by giving of excess, 60 

Yet, to supply the ripe wants° of my friend, 
I'll break a custom. Is he yet possess'd° 
How much ye would ? 



20 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

Sky. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. 

Ant. And for three months. 

Shy. I had forgot ; three months, you told me so. 
Well then, your bond ; and let me see ; but hear you ; 
Methought you said you neither lend nor borrow 
Upon advantage. ° 

Ant. I do never use° it. 

Shy. When Jacob grazed his uncle Laban's sheep, — 
This Jacob from our holy Abram was, 70 

As° his wise mother wrought in his behalf. 
The third possessor ;° ay, he was the third,° — 

Ant. And what of him ? did he take interest ? 

Shy. No, not take interest ; not, as you would say,. 
Directly interest : mark what Jacob did. 
When Laban and himself were compromised" 
That all the eanlings which were streak'd and pied 
Should fall as Jacob's hire. 
The skilful shepherd peel'd me certain wands ; 
He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes, 80 

Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time 
Fall parti-colour'd lambs, and those were Jacob's. 
This was a way to thrive, and he was blest : 
And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not.° 

Ant. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob served for ; 
A thing not in his power to bring to pass, 



Scene 3.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 21 

But sway'd and fashion'd by the hand of heaven. 
Was this inserted° to make interest good ? 
Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams ? 

Shy. I cannot tell ; I make it breed as fast : 90 

But note me, signior. 

Ant. Mark you this, Bassanio, 

The devil can cite Scripture^ for his purpose. 
An evil soul, producing holy witness. 
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek ; 
A goodly apple rotten at the heart : 
0, what a goodly outside° falsehood hath ! 

Shy. Three thousand ducats ; 'tis a good round sum. 
Three months from twelve ; then, let me see ; the 
rate — 

Ant. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding^ to you ? 

Shy. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft 100 

In the Bialto you have rated me 
About my moneys and my usances : 
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug ; 
For sufferance" is the badge of all our tribe. 
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog. 
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine. 
And all for use of that which is mine own. 
Well then, it now appears you need my help: 
Go to, then ; you come to me, and you say 



22 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act I. 

" Sliylock, we would have moneys : " yon say so ; no 

Yon, that did void yonr rhenm° upon my beard, 

And foot me as yon spnrn a stranger cur 

Over yonr threshold : moneys is yonr suit. 

What should I say to you ? Should I not say 

" Hath a dog money ? is it possible 

A cur can lend three thousand ducats ? " or 

Shall I bend low and in a bondman's key, 

With bated breath and whispering humbleness, 

Say this, — 

" Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last ; 120 

You spurn'd me such a day; another time 

Yon call'd me dog ; and for these courtesies 

I'll lend you thus much moneys " ? 

Ant. I am as like to call thee so again. 
To spit on thee again, to spnrn thee too. 
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not 
As to thy friends ; for when did friendship take 
A breed for barren metal of his friend ? 
But lend it rather to thine enemy ; 
Who if he break,° thou mayest with better face 130 
Exact the penalty. 

Shy. Why, look yon, how you storm ! 

I would be friends° with you, and have your love. 
Forget the shames that you have stain'd me with. 



Scene 3.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 23 

Supply your present wants, and take no doit 

Of usance for my moneys, and you'll not hear me : 

This is kind° I offer. 

Bass. This were° kindness. 

Shy. This kindness will I show. 

Go with me to a notary, seal me there 
Your single" bond ; and, in a merry sport, 
If you repay me not on such a day, 140 

In such a place, such sum or sums as are 
Expressed in the condition, let the forfeit 
Be nominated for an equal° pound 
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken 
In what part of your body pleaseth me. 

Ant. Content, i' faith : I'll seal to such a bond, 
And say there is much kindness in the Jew. 

Bass. You shall not seal° to such a bond for me : 
I'll rather dwell in my necessity. 

Ant. Why, fear not, man ; I will not forfeit it : 150 
Within these two months, that's a month before 
This bond expires, I do expect return 
Of thrice three times the value of this bond. 

Shy. father Abram, what these Christians are. 
Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect° 
The thoughts of others ! Pray you, tell me this ; 
If he should break his day, what should I gain 



24 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

By the exaction of the forfeiture ? 

A pound of man's flesh taken from a man 

Is not so estimable, profitable neither, i6o 

As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say, 

To buy his favour, I extend this friendship : 

If he will take it, so ; if not, adieu ; 

And, for° my love, I pray you wrong me not. 

Ant. Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond. 

Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the notary's ; 
Give him direction for this merry bond ; 
And I will go and purse the ducats straight ; 
See to my house, left in the fearfuF guard 
Of an unthrifty knave° ; and presently^ 170 

I will be with you. 

Ant. Hie thee, gentle Jew. \_Exit Shylock. 

The Hebrew will turn Christian : he grows kind. 

Bass. I like not fair terms and a villain's mind. 

Ant. Come on : in this there can be no dismay ; 
My ships come home a month before the day. 

\_Exeunt. 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 25 

ACT SECOND. — Scene I. 

Belmont. A room in Porticos house. 

Flourish of cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco° 
and his train; Portia, Nerissa, and others 
attending. 

Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion, 
The shadow' d livery ° of the burnish' d sun. 
To whom I am a neighbour and near bred. 
Bring me the fairest creature northward born. 
Where Phoebus'° fire scarce thaws the icicles. 
And let us make incision for your love. 
To prove whose blood is reddest," his or mine. 
I tell thee, lady, this aspect° of mine 
Hath f ear'd° the valiant : by my love, I swear 
The best-regarded virgins of our clime lo 

Have loved it too : I would not change this hue. 
Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen. 

Por. In terms of ° choice I am not solely led 
By nice° direction" of a maiden's eyes ; 
Besides, the lottery of my destiny 
Bars me the right" of voluntary choosing: 
But if my father had not scanted" me 



26 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

And hedged me by Ms wit, to yield myself 

His wife wlio° wins me by that means I told you, 

Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair° 20 

As any comer I have look'd on yet 

For my affection. 

Mor. Even for that I thank you : 

Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets, 
To try my fortune. By this scimitar 
That slew the Sophy° and a Persian prince 
That won three fields° of Sultan Solyman, 
I would outstare the sternest eyes that look. 
Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth. 
Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear. 
Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey, 30 

To win thee, lady. But, alas the while ! 
If Hercules° and Lichas° play at dice 
Which is the better° man, the greater throw 
May turn by fortune from the weaker hand : 
So is Alcides beaten by his page ; 
And so may I, blind fortune leading me. 
Miss that which one unworthier may attain, 
And die with grieving. 

Por. You must take your chance 

And either not attempt to choose at all. 
Or swear before you choose, if you choose wrong, 40 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 27 

Never to speak to lady afterward 

In way of marriage : therefore be advised. ° 

Mor. Nor will not. Come^ bring me unto my 

chance. ° 
Por. Firstj forward to the temple° : after dinner 
Your hazard shall be made. 

Mor. Good fortune then ! 

To make me° blest° or cursed'st° among men. 

\_Cornets, and exeunt. 

Scene II. 

Venice. A street. 

Enter Launcelot.° 

Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve° me to 
run from this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine 
elbow, and tempts me, saying to me, " Gobbo, Launce- 
lot Gobbo, good Launcelot," or "good Gobbo," or 
" good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, 
run away." My conscience says, "No; take heed, 
honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo," or, as 
aforesaid, "honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; 
scorn running with thy heels." Well, the most cour- 
ageous fiend bids me pack: "Via°!" says<the fiend; 



28 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

"away!" says the fiend; "for the heavens, rouse np 
a brave mind," says the fiend, " and run. " Well, 
my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, 
says very wisely to me, "My honest friend Launcelot, 
being an honest man's son," — or rather an honest 
woman's son ; — for, indeed, my father did something 
smack,° something grow to,° he had a kind of taste; — 
well, my conscience says, "Launcelot, budge not." 
" Budge," says the fiend. " Budge not," says my con- 
science. " Conscience," say I, " you counsel well ; " 20 
" Fiend," say I, " you counsel well : " to be ruled by 
my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, 
who, God bless the mark,° is a kind of devil ; and, to 
run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the 
fiend, who, saving your reverence,° is the devil him- 
self. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnar ; 
and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of 
hard conscience,° to offer to counsel me to stay with 
the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel : 
I will run, fiend ; my heels are at your command ; 1 30 
will run.° 

Enter Old Gobbo, with a basket. 

Gob. Master® young man, you, I pray you, which is 
the way to master Jew's ? 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 29 

Laitn. \_Aside] heavens, this is my true-begotten 
father ! who, being more than sand-blind,° high-gravel 
blind, knows me not : I will try confusions with him. 

Goh. Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is 
the way to master Jew's ? 

Laun. Turn up on your right hand at the next 
turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left ; 4° 
marry,° at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but 
turn down indirectly to the Jew's house. 

Gob. By God's sonties,° 'twill be a hard way to hit. 
Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells 
with him, dwell with him or no ? 

Laun. Talk you of young Master Launcelot? 
\^Aside'] Mark me now ; now will I raise the waters. 
Talk you of young Master Launcelot ? 

Gob. No master, sir, but a poor man's son: his 
father, though I say it, is an honest exceeding" poor 5° 
man, and, God be thanked, well to live.° 

Laun. Well, let his father be what a'° will, we talk 
of young Master Launcelot. 

Gob. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, sir. 

Laun. But I pray you, ergo,° old man, ergo, I be- 
seech you, talk you of young Master Launcelot ? 

Gob. Of Launcelot, an't° please your mastership. 

Laun. Ergo, Master Launcelot. Talk not of Mas- 



30 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

ter Launcelot, father°; for the young gentleman, ac- 
cording to Fates and Destinies and such odd sayings, 60 
the Sisters Three° and such branches of learning, is 
indeed deceased ; or, as you would say in plain terms, 
gone to heaven. 

Goh. Marry, God forbid ! the boy was the very staff 
of my age, my very prop. 

Laun. Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post,° a 
staff or a prop ? Do you know me, father ? 

Goh. Alack the day, I know you not, young gentle- 
man : but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy, God rest his 
soul, alive or dead ? 7c 

Laun. Do you not know me, father ? 

Goh. Alack, sir, I am sand-blind ; I know you not. 

Laun. Nay, indeed, if jow. had your eyes, you 
might fail of the knowing me : it is a wise father that 
knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you 
news of your son : give me your blessing : truth will 
come to light ; murder cannot be hid long ; a man's son 
may ; but, at the length, truth will out. 

Goh. Pray you, sir, stand up : I am sure you are not 
Launcelot, my boy. 80 

Laun. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about 
it, but give me your blessing : I am Launcelot, your 
boy that was, your son that is, your child that shall be. 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 31 

Gob. I cannot think you are my son. 

Laun. I know not what I shall think of that : but I 
am Launcelot, the Jew's man ; and I am sure Margery 
your wife is my mother. 

Gob. Her name is Margery, indeed : I'll be sworn, 
if thou be Launcelot, thou art mine own flesh and 
blood. Lord worshipped might he be ! ° what a beard 90 
hast thou got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin 
than Dobbin my fill-horse has on his tail. 

Laun. It should seem, then, that Dobbin's tail 
grows backward: I am sure he had more hair of 
his tail than I have of my face when I last saw 
him. 

Gob. Lord, how art thou changed! How dost 
thou and thy master agree ? I have brought him a 
present. How 'gree you now ? 

Laun. Well, well : but, for mine own part, as 1 100 
have set up my rest° to run away, so I will not rest 
till I have run some ground.° My master's a very 
Jew: give him a present! give him a halter: I am 
famished in his service ; you may tell every finger I 
have with my ribs.° Father, I am glad you are come : 
give me your present to one Master Bassanio, who, 
indeed, gives rare new liveries : if I serve not him, I 
will run as far as God has any ground. rare for- 



32 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IL 

tune ! here comes the man : to him, father ; for I am 
a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer. no 

Enter Bassajstio, with Leonardo and other Followers. 

Bass. You may do so ; but let it be so hasted, that 
supper be ready at the farthest by five of the clock. 
See these letters delivered ; put the liveries to mak- 
ing ; and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. 

\_Exit a Servant. 

Laun. To him, father. 

Goh. God bless your worship ! 

Bass. Gramercy° ! wouldst thou aught with me ? 

Ooh. Here's my son, sir, a poor boy, — 

Laun. Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew's man ; 
that would, sir, — as my father shall specify, — 120 

Goh. He hath a great infection,^ sir, as one would 
say, to serve — 

Laun. Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve 
the Jew, and have a desire, — as my father shall 
specify, — 

Goh. His master and he, saving your worship's 
reverence, are scarce cater-cousins,° — 

Laun. To be brief, the very truth is that the Jew, 
having done me wrong, doth cause me, — as my 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 33 

father, being, I hope, an old man, shall frutify° unto 130 
you,— 

Gob. I have here a dish of doves that I would be- 
stow upon your worship, and my suit is, — 

Laun. In very brief, the suit is impertinent to my- 
self, as your worship shall know by this honest old 
man ; and, though I say it, though old man, yet poor 
man, my father. 

Bass. One speak for both.° What would you ? 

Laun. Serve you, sir. 

Gob. That is the very defect° of the matter, sir. 140 

Bass. I know thee well ; thou hast obtain'd thy suit: 
Shylock thy master spoke with me this day. 
And hath preferr'd° thee, if it be preferment 
To leave a rich Jew's service, to become 
The follower of so poor a gentleman. 

Laun. The old proverb° is very well parted between 
my master Shylock and you, sir : you have the grace 
of God, sir, and he hath enough. 

Bass. Thou speak'st it well. Go, father, with thy 
son. 
Take leave of thy old master and inquire 150 

My lodging out. Give him a livery 
More guarded" than his fellows' ; see it done. 

Laun. Father, in. I cannot get a service, no; I 



34 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

have ne'er a tongue in my head. Well, if any man in 
Italy have a fairer table° which doth offer to swear 
upon a book,° I shall have good fortune. Go to, here's 
a simple° line of life : here's a small trifle of wives° : 
alas, fifteen wives is nothing ! a'leven widows and 
nine maids is a simple coming-in for one man : and 
then to 'scape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of i6o 
my life with the edge of a f eather-bed° ; here are 
simple scapes. Well, if Fortune be a woman, she's 
a good wench° for this gear. Father, come; I'll 
take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an 
eye. [Exeunt Launcelot a7id Old Gobbo. 

Bass. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this : 
These things being bought and orderly bestow'd 
Return in haste, for I do feast to-night 
My best-esteem'd acquaintance : hie thee, go. 

Leon. My best endeavours shall be done herein. 170 

Enter Gratiano. 

Gra. Where is your master ? 

Leon. Yonder, sir, he walks. \_Exit. 

Gra. Siguier Bassanio, — 

Bass. Gratiano ! 

Gra. I have a suit to you. 

Bass. You have obtain'd it. 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 35 

Gra. You must not deny me : I must go witli you 
to Belmont. 

Bass. Why, then you must. But hear thee, Gratiano : 
Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice ; 
Parts° that become thee happily enough. 
And in such eyes as ours appear not faults ; ] 

But where thou art not known, why there they show 
Something too liberal. ° Pray thee, take pain 
To allay with some cold drops of modesty° 
Thy skipping spirit ; lest, through thy wild behaviour, 
I be misconstrued° in the place I go to. 
And lose my hopes. 

Gra. Signior Bassanio, hear me : 

If I do not put on a sober habit,° 
Talk with respect, and swear but now and then. 
Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely ; 
Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes° n 

Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say *^ amen ; '^ 
Use all the observance of civility, 
Like one well studied in a sad ostent° 
To please his grandam, never trust me more. 

Bass. Well, we shall see your bearing. 
Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night : you shall not gauge me 
By what we do to-night. 

-Bass. No, that were pity : 



36 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

I would entreat you rather to put on 

Your boldest suit° of mirth, for we have friends 

That purpose merriment. But fare you well : s 

I have some business. 

Gra. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest : 
But we will visit you at supper-time. \_Exeu7it. 



Scene III. 

The same. A room in Shylock^s house ° 

Enter Jessica° a7id Launcelot. 

Jes. I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so : 
Our house is hell ; and thou, a merry devil, 
Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness. 
But fare thee well ; there is a ducat for thee : 
And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see 
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest : 
Give him this letter ; do it secretly ; 
And so farewell : I would not have my father 
See me in talk with thee. 

Laun. Adieu ! tears exhibit" my tongue. Most i 
beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew ! But adieu : these 



Scene 4.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 37 

foolish drops do something^ drown my manly spirit : 
adieu. 

Jes. Farewell, good Launcelot. \_Exit Launcelot. 
Alack, wliat heinous sin is it in me 
To be ashamed to be my father's child ! 
But though I am a daughter to his blood, 
I am not to his manners. ° Lorenzo, 
If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife. 
Become a Christian, and thy loving wife. \_Exit. ^ 



Scene IV. 

The same. A street. 

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Salarino, and Salanio. 

Lor. Nay, we will slink away in° supper-time, 
Disguise us at my lodging, and return 
All in an hour. 

Gra. We have not made good preparation. 

Solar. We have not spoke us° yet of torch-bearers. 

Solan. 'Tis vile,° unless it may be quaintly" order'd. 
And better in my mind not undertook. 

Lor. 'Tis now but four o'clock : we have two hours° 
To furnish us. 



38 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

Enter Launcelot, with a letter. 

Friend Launcelot, what's the news ? 

Lmin. An it shall please you to break up° this, it 
shall seem to signify. n 

Lor. I know the hand : in faith, 'tis a fair hand ; 
And whiter than the paper it writ on 
Is the fair hand that writ. 

Gra. Love-news, in faith. 

Laun. By your leave,° sir. 

Lor. Whither goest thou ? 

Laun. Marry, sir, to bid my old master the Jew to 
sup to-night with my new master the Christian. 

Lor. Hold here, take this : tell gentle Jessica 
I will not fail her ; speak it privately. 20 

Go, gentlemen, \_Exit Launcelot. 

Will you prepare you for this masque to-night ? 
I am provided of a torch-bearer. 

Solar. Ay, marry, I'll begone about it straight. 

Salan. And so will I. 

Lor. Meet me and Gratiano 

At Gratiano's lodging" some hour hence. 

Salar. 'Tis good we do so. 

[JExeunt Salar. and Salan. 

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica ? 



Scene 5.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 39 

Lor. I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed 
How I shall take her from her father's house ; 30 

What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with; 
What page's suit she hath in readiness. 
If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven, 
It will be for his gentle daughter's sake° : 
And never dare misfortune cross her foot, 
Unless she do it under this excuse, 
That she is issue to a faithless" Jew. 
Come, go with me ; peruse this as thou goest : 
Eair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer. \_Exeunt. 

Scene V. 
The same. Before ShylocWs house. 
Enter Shylock and Launcelot. 
JShy. Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy 
judge, 
The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio : — 
What, Jessica ! — thou shalt not gormandise. 
As thou hast done with me : — What, Jessica ! — 
And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out ; — 
Why, Jessica, I say° ! 

Latin. Why, Jessica! 

Shy. Who bids thee call ? I do not bid thee call. 



40 • THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IL 

Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me that I 
could do nothing without bidding. 

Enter Jessica. 

Jes. Call you ? what is your will ? lo 

Shy. I am bid f orth° to supper, Jessica : 
There are my keys. But wherefore should I go ? 
I am not bid for love ; they flatter me : 
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon 
The prodigal Christian. Jessica, my girl, 
Look to my house. I am right loath to go : 
There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest. 
For I did dream of money-bags to-night. 

Laun. I beseech you, sir, go : my young master 
doth expect your reproach. ° 20 

Shy. SodoIhis.° 

Laun. And they have conspired together, I will not 
say you shall see a masque° ; but if you do, then it 
was not for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on 
Black-Monday ° last at six o'clock i' the morning, fall- 
ing out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year, in 
the afternoon. 

Shy. What, are there masques ? Hear you me, 
Jessica : 
Lock up my doors ; and when you hear the drum, 



Scene 5.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 41 

And the vile squealing of the wry-neck'd° fife, 30 

Clamber not you up to the casements then, 

Nor thrust your head into the public street 

To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces ; 

But stop my house's ears, I mean my casements -: 

Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter 

My sober house. By Jacob's staff, I swear 

I have no mind of feasting forth to-night : 

But I will go. Go you before me, sirrah° ; 

Say I will come. 

Laun. I will go before, sir. Mistress, look out at 
window, for all this ; 41 

There will come a Christian by, 
Will be worth a Jewess'° eye.° [Exit. 

Shy. What says that fool of Hagar's° offspring, ha ? 

Jes. His words were, " Farewell, mistress ; " noth- 
ing else. 

Shy. The patch° is kind enough, but a huge feeder ; 
Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day 
More than the wild-cat : drones hive not with me ; 
Therefore I part with him ; and part with him 
To one that I would have him help to waste 50 

His borrow'd purse. Well, Jessica, go in : 
Perhaps I will return immediately : 
Do as I bid you ; shut doors after you : 



42 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

Fast bind, fast find, 

A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. \_Exit. 

Jes. Earewell ; and if my fortune be not crost,° 
I have a father, you a daughter, lost. [Exit. 

Scene YI. 

TJie same. 

Enter Gkatiano and Salarino, masqued. 

Gra. This is the pent-house° under which Lorenzo 
Desired us to make stand. 

Salar. His hour° is almost past. 

Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour, 
For lovers ever run before the clock. 

Salar. 0, ten times faster Venus' pigeons° fly 
To seal love's bonds new-made, than they are wont 
To keep obliged" faith unforfeited ! 

Gra. That ever holds : who riseth from a feast 
With that keen appetite that he sits down ? 
Where is the horse that doth untread again lo 

His tedious measures with the unbated fire 
That he did pace them first ? All things that are, 
Are with more spirit chased° than enjoy 'd. 
How like a younker° or a prodigal 



Scene 6.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 43 

The scarf ed° bark puts from her native bay, 
Hugg'd and embraced by the strumpet wind ! 
How like the prodigal doth she return, 

With over-weather'd ribs and ragged sails, ,,, 

Lean, rent, and beggar'd by the strumpet wind ! j 

Solar. Here comes Lorenzo : more of this here- 
after. 20 
Enter Lorenzo. 

Lor. Sweet friends, your patience for my long 
abode ; 
Not I, but my affairs, have made you wait : 
When you shall please to play the thieves for wives, 
I'll watch as long for you then. Approach ; 
Here dwells my father Jew. Ho ! who's within ? 

Enter Jessica, above, in hoy^s clothes. 

Jes. Who are you ? Tell me, for more certainty. 
Albeit I'll swear that I do know your tongue. 

Lor. Lorenzo, and thy love. 

Jes. Lorenzo, certain ; and my love, indeed, 
For who love I so much ? And now who knows° 30 
But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours ? 

Lor. Heaven and thy thoughts are witness that 
thou art. 



44 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

Jes. Here, catch this casket ; it is worth the pains. 
I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me, 
For I am much ashamed of my exchange : 
But love is blind, and lovers cannot see 
The pretty follies that themselves commit° ; 
For if they could, Cupid himself would blush 
To see me thus transformed to a boy. 

Lor. Descend, for you must be my torch-bearer. 40 

Jes. What, must I hold a candle to my shames ? 
They in themselves, good sooth, are too too light.° 
Why, 'tis an office of discovery,^ love ; 
And I should° be obscured. 

Lor. So are you, sweet. 

Even in the lovely garnish of a boy. 
But come at once ; 

For the close° night doth play the runaway, 
And we are stay'd for at Bassanio's feast. 

Jes. I will make fast the doors, and gild myself 
With some mo° ducats, and be with you straight. 50 

[^Exit above. 

Gra. Now, by my hood,° a Gentile, and no Jew. 

Lor. Beshrew me° but I love her heartily 5 
For she is wise, if I can judge of her ; 
And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true ; 
And true she is, as she hath proved herself^ 



Scene 7.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 45 

And therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true. 
Shall she be placed in my constant soul.° 

Enter Jessica, helow. 

What, art thou come ? On, gentlemen ; away ! 
Our masquing mates by this time for us stay. 

\_Exit loith Jessica cmcZ Salarino. 

Enter Antonio. 

Ant. Who's there ? 60 

Gra. Signior Antonio ! 

Ant. Fie, fie, Gratiano ; where are all the rest ? 
'Tis nine o'clock : our friends all stay for you. 
No masque to-night : the wind is come about ; 
Bassanio presently will go aboard : 
I have sent twenty° out to seek for you. 

Gra. I am glad on't : I desire no more delight 
Than to be under sail and gone to-night. \_Exeunt. 

Scene VII. 

Belmont. A room in Portia^s house. 

Flourish of cornets. Enter Portia, 'with the Prince of 
Morocco, and their trains. 

For. Go draw aside the curtains, and discover" 



© 



THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 



The several caskets to this noble prince. 
Now make your choice. 

Mor. The first, of gold, who this inscription bears, 
*^Who° chooseth me shall gain what many men de- 
sire ; " 
The second, silver, which° this promise carries, 
" Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves ; " 
This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt,° 
"Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath." 
How shall I know if I do choose the right ? lo 

Pot. The one of them contains my picture, prince : 
If you choose that, then I am yours withal. ° 

Mor. Some god direct my judgement ! Let me see ; 
I will survey the inscriptions back again. 
What says this leaden casket ? 

"Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath." 
Must give, — for what ? for lead ? hazard for lead ? 
This casket threatens. Men that hazard all 
Do it in hope of fair advantages : 

A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross ; 20 

I'll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead. 
What says the silver with her virgin hue° ? 
" Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." 
As much as he deserves ! Pause there, Morocco, 
And weigh thy value with an even° hand : 



Scene 7.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 47 

If thou be'st rated° by thy estimation," 

Thou dost deserve enough"; and yet enough 

May not extend so far as to the lady : 

And yet to be afeared of my deserving 

Were but a weak disabling of myself. 3c 

As much as I deserve ! Why, that's the lady : 

I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes, 

In graces and in qualities of breeding ; 

But more than these, in love I do deserve. 

What if I stray'd no further, but chose here° ? 

Let's see once more this saying graved in gold ; 

" Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." 

Why, that's the lady ; all the world desires her ; 

From the four corners of the earth they come. 

To kiss this shrine,° this mortal-breathing" saint : 40 

The Hyrcanian deserts" and the vasty wilds 

Of wide Arabia are as thoroughfares now 

For princes to come view fair Portia" : 

The watery kingdom, whose ambitious" head 

Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar 

To stop the foreign spirits"; but they come. 

As o'er a brook, to see fair Portia. 

One of these three contains her heavenly picture. 

Is't like that lead contains her ? 'Twere damnation" 

To think so base a thought : it were too gross 50 



48 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

To rib° her cerecloth° in the obscnre° grave. 

Or shall I think in silver she's immured, 

Being ten times° undervalued to tried gold ? 

O sinful thought ! Never so rich a gem 

Was set in worse than gold. They have in England 

A coin that bears the figure of an angel 

Stamped in gold, but that's insculp'd upon°; 

But here an angel in a golden bed 

Lies all within. Deliver me the key : 

Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may" ! 60 

Por. There, take it, prince ; and if my form lie there. 

Then I am yours. \_He unlocks the golden casket. 

Mor. hell ! what have we here ? 

A carrion Death,° within whose empty eye 

There is a written scroll ! I'll read the writing. 

\_Reads'] All that glisters is not gold ; 

Often have you heard that told i 

Many a man his life hath sold 

But my outside° to behold : 

Gilded tombs do worms infold. 

Had you been as wise as bold, 70 

Young in limbs, in judgement old, 

Your° answer had not been inscroll'd : 

Fare you well ; your suit is cold. 

Cold, indeed ; and labour lost : 



Scene 8.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 49 

Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost ! 
Portia, adieu. I have too grieved a heart 
To take a tedious leave : thus losers part. 

\_Exit ivith his train. Flourish of cornets. 
Por. A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains, go. 
Let all of his complexion choose me so. \_Exeunt. 

Scene VIII. 

Venice. A street. 

Enter Salarino and Salanio. 

Solar. Why, man, I saw Bassanio under sail : 
With him is Gratiano gone along ; 
And in their ship I am sure Lorenzo is not. 

Solan. The villain Jew with outcries raised the Duke 
Who went with him to search Bassanio's ship. 

Solar. He came too late, the ship was under sail : 
But there the Duke was given to understand 
That in a gondola were seen together 
Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica : 
Besides, Antonio certijfied the Duke° lo 

They were not with Bassanio in his ship. 

Solan. I never heard a passion so confused, 
So strange, outrageous, and so variable, 



50 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II 

As the dog Jew did utter in the streets" : 

" My daughter ! my ducats ! my daughter ! 

Fled with a Christian ! my Christian ducats ! 

Justice ! the law ! my ducats, and my daughter ! 

A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats, 

Of double ducats, stolen from me by my daughter ! 

And jewels, two stones, two rich and precious stones, 

Stolen by my daughter ! Justice ! find the girl ! 21 

She hath the stones upon her, and the ducats ! " 

Solar. Why, all the boys in Venice follow him, 
Crying, his stones, his daughter, and his ducats. 

Salan. Let good Antonio look he keep his day,° 
Or he shall pay for this.° 

Solar. Marry, well remember'd. 

I reason'd° with a Frenchman yesterday. 
Who told me, in the narrow seas that part 
The French and English, there miscarried 
A vessel of our country richly fraught° : 30 

I thought upon Antonio when he told me ; 
And wish'd in silence that it were not his. 

Solon. You were best to tell Antonio what you hear ; 
Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him. 
° Solar. A kinder gentleman treads not the earth. 
I saw Bassanio and Antonio part : 
Bassanio told him he would make some speed 



Scene 9.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 51 

Of his return : he answer'd, " Do not so ; 

Slubber° not business for my sake, Bassanio, 

But stay° the very riping of the time ; 40 

And for the Jew's bond which he hath of me, 

Let it not enter in your mind of love° : 

Be merry ; and employ your chief est thoughts 

To° courtship, and such fair ostents° of love 

As shall conveniently° become you there : " 

And even there, his eye being big with tears, 

Turning his face, he put his hand behind him, 

And with affection wondrous sensible" 

He wrung Bassanio's hand ; and so they parted. 

Solan. I think he only° loves the world for him. 50 
I pray thee, let us go and find him out, 
And quicken his embraced heaviness 
With some delight or other. 

Solar. Do we so. \_Exeunt. 

Scene IX. 

Belmont. A room in Portia's Jioiise. 

Enter Nerissa and a Servitor. 

JSfer. Quick, quick, I pray thee: draw the curtain 
straight" : 



52 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

The Prince of Arragon hatli ta'en his oath, 
And comes to his election^ presently. ° 

Flourish of cornets. Enter the Prince of Aruagon, 
Portia, and their trains. 

Por. Behold, there stand the caskets, noble prince : 
If you choose that wherein I am contain'd. 
Straight shall our nnptial rites be solemnised : 
But if you fail, without more speech, my lord, 
You must be gone from hence immediately. ° 

Ar. I am enjoin'd by oath to observe three things : 
Pirst, never to unfold to any one lo 

Which casket 'twas I chose ; next, if I fail 
Of the right casket, never in my life 
To woo a maid in way of marriage° : 
Lastly, 

If I do fail in fortune of my choice. 
Immediately to leave you and be gone.° 

Por. To these injunctions every one doth swear 
That comes to hazard for my worthless self. 

Ar. And so I have address'd° me. Portune now 
To my heart's hope ! Gold ; silver ; and base lead. 20 
" Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath." 
You° shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard. 
What says the golden chest ? ha ! let me see : 



Scene 9.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 53 

" Who clioosetli me shall gain what many men desire." 

What many men desire ! that " many " may be meant 

By the fool multitude, that choose by show, 

Not learning more than the fond^ eye doth teach ; 

Which pries not to the interior, but, like the martlet, 

Builds in the weather° on the outward wall. 

Even in the force and road of casualty. 30 

I will not choose what many men desire, 

Because I will not jump with° common spirits," 

And rank me with the barbarous multitudes. ° 

Why, then to thee, thou silver treasure-house ; 

Tell me once more what title thou dost bear : 

" Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves : " 

And well said too ; for who should go about 

To cozen° fortune, and be honourable 

Without the stamp of merit ? Let none presume 

To wear an undeserved dignity. 40 

0, that estates," degrees" and offices 

Were not derived corruptly, and that clear" honour 

Were purchased by the merit of the wearer ! 

How many then should cover" that stand bare ! 

How many be commanded that command ! 

How much low peasantry would then be glean'd" 

From the true seed of honour ! and how much honour 

Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times. 



54 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act II. 

To be new-varnish.' d ! Well, but to my choice : 
" Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." 
I will assume desert. Give me a key for this, 51 

And instantly unlock my fortunes here.° 

\_He opens the silver casket. 
For. \_Aside'] Too long a pause for that which you 

find there. ° 
Ar. What's here ? the portrait of a blinking idiot, 
Presenting me a schedule ! I will read it. 
How much unlike art thou to Portia ! 
How much unlike my hopes and my deservings ! 
"Who chooseth me shall have as much as he de- 
serves." 
Did I deserve no more than a fooPs head ? 
Is that my prize ? are my deserts no better ? 60 

For. To offend,° and judge,° are distinct° offices, 
And of opposed natures. 

Ar. What is here ? 

\_Reads~\ The fire seven times tried° this : 

Seven times tried that judgement is, 
That did never choose amiss. 
Some there be that shadows kiss ; 
Such have but a shadow's bliss : 
There be fools alive, I wis,° 
Silver'd o^er ; and so was this. 



Scene 9.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 55 

Take what wife you will° to bed, 70 

I will ever be your liead° : 

So be gone : you are sped. 

Still more fool I shall appear 

By the time I linger here : 

With one fool's head I came to woo, 

But I go away with two. 

Sweet, adieu. I'll keep my oath. 

Patiently to bear my wroth. ° 

\_Exeunt Arkagon and train. 
For. Thus hath the candle singed the moth. 
O, these deliberate" fools ! when they do choose, 80 
They have the wisdom by their wit° to lose. 

JVer. The ancient saying is no heresy. 
Hanging and wiving goes by destiny. 
For. Come, draw° the curtain, Nerissa. 

Enter a Servant. 

Serv. Where is my lady ? 

For. Here : what would my lord° ? 

Serv. Madam, there is alighted at your gate 
A young Venetian, one that comes before 
To signify the approaching of his lord : 
From whom he bringeth sensible" regreets,° 
To wit, besides commends" and courteous breath, 90 



k 



56 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Gifts of rich value. Yet° I have not seen 
So likely° an ambassador of love : 
A day in April never came so sweet, 
To show how costly summer was at hand, 
As this fore-spurrer comes before his lord. 

Pot. No more, I pray thee : I am half af eard 
Thou wilt say anon he is some kin to thee. 
Thou spend'st such high-day° wit° in praising him. 
Come, come, Nerissa ; for I long to see 
Quick Cupid's post that comes so mannerly. loo 

Wer. Bassanio, lord Love, if thy will it be !° \^Exeu7it. 



ACT THIED. 

Scene I. 

Veyiice. A street. 

Enter Salanio and Salarino. 

Solan. Now, what news on the Hialto ? 

Salar. Why, yet it lives there unchecked,^ that 
Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wrecked on the 
narrow seas°; the Goodwins, I think they call the 
place ; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the car- 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 57 

cases of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, 
if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her 
word. 

Solan. I would she were as lying a gossip in that 
as ever knapped ginger,° or made her neighbours lo 
believe she wept for the death of a third husband. 
But it is true, without any slips of prolixity, or cross- 
ing the plain highway of talk, that the good Antonio, 
the honest Antonio, — that I had a title good enough 
to keep his name company ! — 

Solar. Come, the full stop. 

Salon. Ha! what sayest thou? Why, the end is, 
he hath lost a ship. 

Solar. I would it might prove the end of his losses. 

Solon. Let me say " amen " betimes, lest the devil 20 
cross° my prayer,° for here he comes in the likeness 
of a Jew. 

Enter Shylock. 

How now, Shylock ! what news among the mer- 
chants ? 

Shy. You knew, none so well, none so well as you, 
of my daughter's flight. 

Salor. That's certain: I, for my part, knew the 
tailor° that made the wings she flew withal. 



58 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Salan. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the 
bird was fledged; and then it is the complexion" of 3° 
them all to leave the dam. 

Shy. She is damned for it. 

Solar. That's certain, if the devir may be her 
.judge. 

Shy. My own flesh and blood° to rebel ! 

Salan. Out upon it, old carrion ! rebels it at these 
years ? 

Shy. I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood. 

Salar. There is more difference between thy flesh 
and hers than between jet and ivory; more between 40 
your bloods than there is between red wine and rhen- 
ish.° But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have 
had any loss at sea or no ? 

Shy. There I have another bad match°: a bank- 
rupt, a prodigal," who dare scarce show his head on 
the E/ialto; a beggar, that was used to come so smug 
upon the mart; let him look to his bond: he was 
wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond: 
he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy ; 
let him look to his bond.° 5° 

Salar. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not 
take his flesh : w^hat's that good for" ? 

Shy. To bait fish withal : if it will feed nothing 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VEmCE 59 

else, it will feed my revenge. He hatli disgrace(i° 
me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at 
my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, 
thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated 
mine enemies ; and what's his reason ? I am a Jew. 
Hath not a Jew eyes ? hath not a Jew hands, organs, 
dimensions, senses, affections, passions ? fed with the 60 
same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to 
the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed 
and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a 
Christian is ? If you prick us, do we not bleed ? if 
you tickle us, do we not laugh ? if you poison us, do 
we not die ? and if you wrong us, shall we not re- 
venge ? if we are like you in the rest, we will resemble 
you in that. If a Jew Avrong a Christian, what is his 
humility" ? Eevenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, 
what should his sufferance be by Christian example ? 70 
Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will exe- 
cute ; and it shall go hard° but I will better the in- 
struction. ° 

Enter a Servant. 

Serv. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his 
house, and desires to speak with you both. 

Solar. AVe have been up and down to seek him. 



60 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Entei' Tubal. 

Solan. Here conies another of the tribe: a third 

cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. 

\_Exeunt Salan. Salar. and Servant. 

Shy. How now, Tubal ! what news from Genoa ? 
hast thou found my daughter ? 80 

Tub. I often came where 1 did hear of her, but can- 
not find her. 

Shy. Why, there, there, there, there ! a diamond 
gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort ! 
The curse° never fell upon our nation till now ; I never 
felt it till now; two thousand ducats in that ; and other 
precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were 
dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear ! would she 
were hearsed° at my foot, and the ducats in her cofhn ! 
No news of them ? Why, so : — and I know not 90 
what's spent in the search : why, thou loss upon loss ! 
the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the 
thief ; and no satisfaction, no revenge : nor no ill luck 
stirring but what lights on my shoulders; no sighs 
but of my breathing ; no tears but of my shedding. 

Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too : Antonio, as 
I heard in Genoa, — 

Shy. What, what, what ? ill luck, ill luck ? 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 61 

Tub. Hath an argosy cast away, coming from 
Tripolis. i 

Shy. I tliank God,° I thank God ! Is't true, is't 
true? 

Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped 
the wreck. 

Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal : good news, good 
news ! ha, ha ! where ? in Genoa ? 

Tub. Your daughter° spent in Genoa, as I heard, 
in one night fourscore ducats. 

Shy. Thou stick'st a dagger in me: I shall never 
see my gold, again: fourscore ducats at a sitting°!i 
fourscore ducats ! 

Tub. There came divers of Antonio's creditors" in 
my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose 
but break. 

Shy. I am very glad of it : I'll plague him ; I'll 
torture him : I am glad of it. 

Tub. One of them showed me a ring that he had of 
your daughter for a monkey. 

Shy. Out upon her ! Thou torturest me. Tubal : it 
was my turquoise ; I had it of Leah when I was a i 
bachelor : I would not have given it for a wilderness 
of monkeys. 

Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone. 



62 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true. Go, Tubal, 
fee me an officer; bespeak° him a fortnight before. 
I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit ; for, were 
he out of Venice, I can make what mxcrchandise I will. 
Go, go. Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue"; go, 
good Tubal ; at our synagogue, Tubal. \_Exeunt. 

Scene II. 

Belmont. A room in Portia's house. 

Enter Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, Nerissa, and 
Attendants. 

For. I pray you, tarry : pause a day or two 
Before you hazard ; for, in choosing" wrong, 
I lose your company : therefore forbear awhile. 
There's something tells me, but it is not love,° 
I would not lose you ; and you know yourself, 
Hate counsels not in such a quality." 
But lest you should not understand me° well, — 
And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought, — 
I would detain you here some month" or two 
Before you venture for me. I could teach you lo 

How to choose right, but I am then forsworn f 
So will I never be : so may you miss me ; 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 63 

But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin, 

That I had been forsworn. Beshrew° your eyes, 

They have o'er-look'd° me, and divided me ; 

One half of me is yours, the other half yours. 

Mine own, I would say ; but if mine, then yours, 

And so all yours ! 0, these naughty times 

Put bars between the owners and their rights ! 

And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so,° 20 

Let fortune go to helF for it, not I. 

I speak too long ; but 'tis to peize° the time, 

To eke it and to draw it out in length. 

To stay you from election. 

Bass. Let me choose ; 

For as I am, I live upon the rack. 

Por. Upon the rack, Bassanio ! then confess 
What treason" there is mingled with your love. 

Bass. None but that ugly treason of mistrust, ° 
Which makes me fear the enjoying of my love : 
There may as well be amity and life° 30 

'Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. 

Por. Ay, but I fear you speak upon the rack, 
Where men enforced do speak any thing. 

Bass. Promise me life, and Pll confess the truth. 

Por. Well then, confess and live. 

Bass. '■ Confess/ and ^ love/ 



64 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Had been the very sum of my confession" : 
O happy torment, when my torturer 
Doth teach me answers for deliverance ! 
But let me to my fortune and the caskets. 

Por. Away, then ! I am lock'd in one of them : 40 
If you do love me, you will find me out. 
Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof. 
Let music sound while he doth make his choice ; 
Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,° 
Fading in music : that the comparison 
May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream, 
And watery death-bed for him.° He may win ; 
And what is music then ? Then music is 
Even as the flourish when true subjects bow 
To a new-crowned monarch : such it is 50 

As are those dulcet sounds in break of day 
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear,° 
And summon him to marriage. Now he goes. 
With no less presence," but with much more love, 
Than young Alcides,° when he did redeem 
The virgin tribute paid by howling" Troy 
To the sea-monster : I stand for sacrifice ; 
The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives, 
With bleared" visages, come forth to view 
The issue of the exploit. Go, Hercules ! 60 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 65 

Live thou, I live : with much much more dismay 
I view the fight than thou that makest the fray. 

Musk) whilst Bass ANio comments on the caskets to himself. 

Song. 

Tell me where is fancy° bred, 

Or in the heart or in the head ? 

How begot, how nourished ? 
Eeply, reply. 

It is engendered in the eyes, 

With gazing fed ; and fancy dies 

In the cradle where it lies. 

Let us all ring fancy's knell ; 70 

I'll begin it, — Ding, dong, bell. 

All. Ding, dong, bell. 

Bass. So may the outward shows be least them- 
selves° : 
The world is stilF deceived with ornament. 
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt, 
But, being season'd with a gracious voice, 
Obscures° the show of evil ? In religion, 
What damned error, but some sober brow 
Will bless it, and approve it with a text, 
Hiding the grossness with fair ornament ? 80 



66 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

There is no vice so simple, but assumes 

Some mark of virtue on his outward parts : 

How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false 

As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins 

The beards of Hercules° and frowning Mars° ; 

Who, inward search'd, have livers white° as milk ; 

And these assume but valour's excrement" 

To render them redoubted ! Look on beauty. 

And you shall see 'tis purchased by the weight ; 

Which therein works a miracle in nature, 90 

Making them lightest that wear most of it : 

So are those crisped snaky golden locks 

Which make such wanton gambols with the wind, 

Upon supposed fairness,° often known 

To be the dowry of a second head. 

The skull that bred them in the sepulchre. 

Thus ornament is but the guiled° shore 

To a most dangerous sea ; the beauteous scarf 

Veiling an Indian beauty° ; in a word. 

The seeming truth which cunning times put on 100 

To entrap the wisest. Therefore, thou gaudy gold. 

Hard food for Midas,° I will none of thee ; 

Nor none of thee, thou pale° and common drudge° 

'Tween man and man : but thou, thou meagre lead, 

Which rather threatenest than dost promise aught. 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 67 

Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence ; 
And here choose I : joy be the consequence !° 

Por. \_Asicle\ How all the other passions fleet to air, 
As° doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair. 
And shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy ! 

love, be moderate ; allay thy ecstasy ; no 
In measure rain thy joy; scant this excess ! 

1 feel too much thy blessing : make it less, 
For fear I surfeit ! 

Bass. What find I here ? 

\_Opening the leaden casTcet. 
Fair Portia's counterfeit ! What demi-god° 
Hath come so near creation ? Move these eyes ? 
Or whether, riding on the balls of mine. 
Seem they in motion ? Here are sever'd lips,° 
Parted with sugar breath : so sweet a bar 
Should sunder such sweet friends.° Here in her hairs 
The painter plays the spider, and hath woven 121 

A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men. 
Faster than gnats in cobwebs : but her eyes,. — 
How could he see to do them ? having made one, 
Methinks it should have power to steal both his . 
And leave itself unfurnish'd.° Yet look, how far° 
The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow 
In underprizing it, so far this shadow 



68 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Doth limp behind the substance." Here's the scroll, 
The continent" and summary of my fortune. 130 

\_Reads] You that choose not by the view, 

Chance as fair, and choose as true ! 

Since this fortune falls to you, 

Be content and seek no new. 

If you be well pleased with this. 

And hold your fortune for your bliss, 

Turn you where your lady is. 

And claim her with a loving kiss. 
A gentle scroll. Fair lady, by your leave ; 
I come by note, to give and to receive." 140 

Like one of two contending in a prize. 
That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes, 
Hearing applause and universal shout. 
Giddy in spirit, still gazing in a doubt 
Whether those peals of praise be his or no 
So, thrice-fair lady, stand I, even so ; 
As doubtful whether what I see be true. 
Until co'ufirm'd, sign'd, ratified by you. 

Por. You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand, 
Such as I am ; though for myself alone 150 

I would not be ambitious in my wish. 
To wish myself much better ; yet, for you 
I would be trebled twenty times myself ; 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 69 

A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times 

More rich; 

That only to stand high in your account, ° 

I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends, 

Exceed account°; but the full sum of me 

Is sum of something, which, to term in gross, ° 

Is an unlesson'd girl, unschooPd, unpractised; i6o 

Happy in this, she is not yet so old 

But she may learn; happier than this, 

She is not bred so dull but she can learn; 

Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit 

Commits itself to yours to be directed, 

As from her lord, her governor, her king. 

Myself and what is mine to you and yours 

Is now converted : but now I was the lord 

Of this fair mansion, master of m}^ servants, 

Queen o'er myself; and even now,° but now, 170 

This house, these servants, and this same myself, 

Are yours, my lord: I give them with this ring; 

Which when you part from, lose, or give away, 

Let it presage° the ruin of your love. 

And be my vantage" to exclaim on you. 

Bass. Madam, you have bereft me of all words, 
Only my blood° speaks to you in my veins ; 
And there is such confusion in my powers. 



70 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act in. 

As, after some oration fairly spoke° 
By a beloved prince, there doth appear i8o 

Among the buzzing pleased multitude ; 
Where every something, being blent together, 
Turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy. 
Expressed and not express'd. But when this ring 
Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence : 
0, then be bold to say Bassanio's dead! 

Ner. My lord and lady, it is now our time. 
That have stood by and seen our wishes prosper, 
To cry, good joy : good joy, my lord and lady ! 

Gra. My lord Bassanio and my gentle lady, 190 
I wish you all the joy that you can wish; 
For I am sure you can wish none from me° : 
And when your honours mean to solemnise 
The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you, 
Even at that time I may be married too. 

Bass. With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife. 

Gra. I thank your lordship, you have got me one. 
My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours : 
You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid; 
You loved, I loved for intermission. ° 200 

No more pertains° to me, my lord, than you. 
Your fortune stood upon the casket there. 
And so did mine too, as the matter falls°; 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 71 

Por wooing here until I sweat again, 

And swearing till my very roof was dry 

Witli oaths of love, at last, if promise last, 

I got a promise of this fair one here 

To have her love, provided that your fortune 

Achieved her mistress. ° 

Por. Is this true, ISTerissa? 

Ner. Madam, it is, so you stand pleased withal. 210 

Bass. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith? 

Gra. Yes, faith, my lord. 

Bass. Our feast shall be much honoured in your 
marriage. 

Gra. But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infideF? 
Wliat, and my old Venetian friend Salerio°? 

Enter Lorenzo, Jessica, ayid Salerio, a Messenger 
from Venice. 

Bass. Lorenzo and Salerio, welcome hither j 
If that the youth of my new interest here 
Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave, 
I bid my very friends° and countrymen. 
Sweet Portia, welcome. 

Por. So do I, my lord : 220 

They are entirely welcome. 



72 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Lor. I thank your honour. For my part, my lord, 
My purpose was not to have seen you here ; 
But meeting with Salerio by the way, 
He did entreat me, past all saying nay. 
To come with him along. 

Saler. I did, my lord; 

And I have reason for it. Signior Antonio 
Commends° him to you. [Oives Bassanio a letter, 

Bass. Ere I ope his letter, 

I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth. 

Saler. Not sick, my lord, unless it be in mind; 2 
Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there 
Will show you his estate. ° 

Gra. ISTerissa, cheer° yon stranger; bid her wel- 
come. 
Your hand, Salerio: what's the news from Venice? 
How doth that royaF merchant, good Antonio? 
I know he will be glad of our success; 
We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece. 

Saler. I would you had won the fleece that he hath 
lost. 

For. There are some shrewd° contents in yon same 
paper, 
That steals the colour from Bassanio's cheek: , 

Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 73 

Could turn so much the constitution" 
Of any constant" man. What, worse and worse! 
With leave, Bassanio; I am half ° yourself. 
And I must freely have the half of anything 
That this same paper brings you. 

Bass. sweet Portia, 

Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words 
That ever blotted paper! Gentle lady, 
When I did first impart my love to you, 
I freely told you, all the wealth I had 250 

Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman; 
And then I told you true : and yet, dear lady, 
Eating myself at nothing, you shall see 
How much I was a braggart. When I told you 
My state was nothing, I should then have told you 
That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed, 
I have engaged myself to a dear friend. 
Engaged my friend to his mere enemy," 
To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady; 
The paper as the body of my friend, 260 

And every word in it a gaping wound. 
Issuing life-blood. But is it true, Salerio? 
Have all his ventures fail'd? What, not one hit? 
Erom Tripolis, from Mexico, and England, 
Erom Lisbon, Barbary, and India? 



74 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

And not one vessel scape the dreadful touch 
Of merchant-marring rocks? 

Saler. Not one, my lord. 

Besides, it should appear, that if he had 
The present money to discharge the Jew, 
He would not take it. Never did I know 270 

A creature, that did bear the shape of man, 
So keen and greedy to confound a man : 
He plies the Duke at morning and at night; 
And doth impeach the freedom of the state, ° 
H they deny him justice : twenty merchants. 
The Duke himself, and the magnificoes° 
Of greatest port, have all persuaded with him ; 
But none can drive him from the envious plea 
Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond. 

Jes. When I was with him I have heard him swear 
To Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen, 281 

That he would rather have Antonio's flesh 
Than twenty times the value of the sum 
That he did owe him : and I know, my lord, 
If law, authority and power deny not, 
It will go hard with poor Antonio. ° 

Por. Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble? 

Bass. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man. 
The best-condition' d and unwearied^ spirit 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 75 

In doing courtesies; and one in whom 290 

The ancient Roman honour° more appears 
Than any that draws breath in Italy. 

For. What sum owes he the Jew? 

Bass. For me three thousand ducats. 

Por. What, no more? 

Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond; 
Double six thousand and then treble that, 
Before a friend of this description 
Shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault. 
First go with me to church and call me wife, 
And then away to Venice to your friend; 300 

For never shall you lie by Portia's side 
With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold 
To pay the petty debt twenty times over : 
When it is paid, bring your true friend along. 
My maid Nerissa and myself meantime 
Will live as maids and widows. Come, away! 
For you shall hence upon your wedding-day : 
Bid your friends welcome, show a merry cheer° : 
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear. 
But let me hear the letter of your friend. 310 

Bass, [reads'] Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all 
miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is very 
low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since in pay- 



76 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

ing it, it is impossible I should live, all debts are 
cleared between you and I,° if I might but see you 
at my death. Notwithstanding, use your pleasure : if 
your love do not persuade you to come, let not my 
letter. 

Pot. love, dispatch all business, and be gone ! 
Bass. Since I have your good leave to go away, 320 
I will make haste : but, till I come again, 
No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay. 
No rest be interposer 'fcwixt us twain. 

[Exeur. \ 

Scene III. 

Venice. A street. 

Enter Shylock, Salarino, Antonio, and Gaoler. 

Shy. Gaoler, ° look to him: tell not me of mercy; 
This is the fool that lent out money gratis : 
Gaoler, look to him. 

Ant. Hear me yet,° good Shylock. 

Shy. I'll have my bond; speak not against my 
bond : 
I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond. 
Thou call'dst me dog° before thou hadst a caase; 
But, since I am a dog, beware my fangs : 



Scene 3.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 11 

The Duke shall grant me justice. I do wonder, 

Thou naughty° gaoler, that thou art so fond° 

To come abroad with him at his request. lo 

Ant. I pray thee, hear me speak. 

Shy. I'll have my bond ; I will not hear thee speak : 
I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more. 
I'll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool. 
To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield 
To Christian intercessors. Eollow not; 
I'll have no speaking : I will have my bond. [Exit. 

Salar. It is the most impenetrable" cur 
That ever kept° with men. 

Ant. Let him alone : 

I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers. 20 

He seeks my life ; his reason well I know : 
I oft deliver'd° from his forfeitures 
Many that have at times made moan to me ; 
Therefore he hates me. 

Salar. I am sure the Duke 

Will never grant this forfeiture to hold. 

Ant. The Duke cannot deny the course of law: 
For the commodity" that strangers have 
With us in Venice, if it° be denied. 
Will much impeach the justice of his state ; 
Since that the trade and profit of the city 33 



78 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Consisteth of all nations. ° Therefore, go: 
These griefs and losses have so bated° me, 
That I shall hardly spare a pound of flesh 
To-morrow to my bloody creditor. 
Wellj gaoler, on. Pray God, Bassanio come 
To see me pay his debt, and then I care not! 

\_Exeunt. 

Scene IV. 

Belmont. A room in Portia^s house. 

Enter Portia, Nerissa, Lorenzo, Jessica, and 
Balthasar. 

Lor. Madam, although I speak it in your presence, 
You have a noble and a true conceit° 
Of god-like amity°; which appears most strongly 
In bearing thus the absence of your lord. 
But if you knew to whom you show this honour, 
How true a gentleman you send relief, ° 
How dear a lover° of my lord your husband, 
I know you would be prouder of the work 
Than customary bounty° can enforce you. 

Por. I never did repent for° doing good, lo 

ISTor shall not now : for in companions" 
Tliat do converse and waste° the time together, 



Scene 4.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 79 

Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love, 

There must be needs a like proportion^ 

Of lineaments, of manners° and of spirit" ; 

Which makes me think that this Antonio, 

Being the bosom lover of my lord. 

Must needs be like my lord. If it be so. 

How little is the cost I have bestow'd 

In purchasing the semblance of my soul° 20 

From out the state of hellish misery! 

This comes too near the praising of myself °; 

Therefore no more of it : hear other things. 

Lorenzo, I commit into your hands 

The husbandry and manage of my house 

Until my lord's return: for mine own part, 

I have toward heaven breathed a secret vow 

To live in prayer and contemplation. 

Only attended by JSTerissa here. 

Until her husband and my lord's return: 30 

There is a monastery two miles off; 

And there will we abide. I do desire you 

Not to deny this imposition"; 

The which my love and some necessity 

Now lays upon you. 

Lor. Madani, with all my heart; 

I shall obey you in all fair° commands. 



80 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Por. My people do already know my mind, 
And will acknowledge you and Jessica 
In place of Lord Bassanio and myself. 
And so farewell, till we shall meet again. 40 

Lor. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you! 

Jes. I wish your ladyship all hearths content. 

Por, I thank you for your wish, and am well 
pleased 
To wish it back on you : fare you well, Jessica. 

[Exeunt Jessica and Loren^zo. 
Now, Balthasar, 

As I have ever found thee honest-true, 
So let me find thee still. Take this same letter, 
And use thou all the endeavour of a man 
In speed to Padua: see thou render this 
Into my cousin's hand, Doctor Bellario; 50 

And, look, what notes and garments he doth give 

thee. 
Bring them, I pray thee, with imagined speed° 
Unto the tranect,° to the common ferry 
Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words, 
But get thee gone : I shall be there before thee. 

Balth. Madam, I go with all convenient" speed. 

[Exit. 

Por. Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand 



Scene 4.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 81 

That you yet know not of; we'll see our husbands 
Before they think of us. 

Ner. Shall they see us? 

Por. They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit, 60 
That they shall think we are accomplished 
With that we lack. I'll hold thee any wager, 
When we are both accoutred like young men, 
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two. 
And wear my dagger with a braver grace, 
And speak between the change of man and boy 
With a reed voice, and turn two mincing steps 
Into a manly stride, and speak of frays 
Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint° lies, 
How honourable ladies sought my love, 70 

Which I denying, they fell sick and died; 
I could not do withaF: then I'll repent. 
And wish, for all that, that I had not kill'd them; 
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell. 
That men shall swear I have discontinued school 
Above a twelvemonth. I have within my mind 
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, 
Which I will practise. 

Ner. Why, shall we turn to men? 

Por. Fie, what a question's that! 
But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device 80 



82 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

When I am in my coach, which stays for us 
At the park-gate; and therefore haste away, 
For we must measure twenty miles° to-day. [Exeunt. 

Scene V. 

The same. A garden. 

Enter Launcelot and Jessica. 

Laun. Yes, truly; for, look you, the sins of the 
father are to be laid upon the children : therefore, I 
promise ye, I fear you.° I was always plain with you, 
and so now I speak my agitation^ of the matter : there- 
fore be of good cheer; for, truly, I think you are 
damned. There is but one hope in it that can do 
you any good : and that is but a kind of bastard° hope 
neither. 

Jes. And what hope is that, I pray thee? 

Laun. Marry, you may partty hope that your lo 
father got° you not, that you are not the Jew's 
daughter. 

Jes. That were a kind of bastard hope, indeed; so 
the sins of my mother should be visited upon me. 

Laun. Truly then I fear you are damned both by 
father and mother: thus when I shun Scylla,° your 



Scene 5.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 83 

father, I fall into Charybdis/ your mother: well, you 
are gone both ways. 

Jes. I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made 
me a Christian. 20 

Laun. Truly, the more to blame he : we were Chris- 
tians enow before; e'en as many as could well live, one 
by another. This making of Christians will raise the 
price of hogs: if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we 
shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money. 

Enter Lorenzo. 

Jes. I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you say : 
here he comes. 

Lor. I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, 
if you thus get my wife into corners. 

Jes. Nay, yon need not fear us, Lorenzo : Launcelot 3° 
and I are out. He tells me flatly, there is no mercy 
for me in heaven, because I am a Jew's daughter: and 
he says, you are no good member of the common- 
wealth; for, in converting Jews to Christians, you 
raise the price of pork. 

Lor. I think the best grace of wit will shortly turn 
into silence; and discourse grow commendable" in 
none only but parrots. Go in, sirrah; bid them pre- 
pare for dinner. 



84 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act III. 

Laim. That is done, sir; they have all stomachs. 4° 

Lor. Goodly Lord, what a wit-snapper are you! 
then bid them prepare dinner. 

Laun. That is done too, sir; only 'cover '° is the 
word. 

Lor. Will you cover, ° then, sir? 

Laun. Not so, sir, neither; I know my duty. 

Lor. Yet more quarrelling" with occasion! Wilt 
thou show the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? 
I pray thee, understand a plain man in his plain 
meaning : go to thy fellows ; bid them cover the table, 50 
serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner. 

Laun. For the table, sir, it shall be served in; for 
the meat, sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in 
to dinner, sir, why, let it be as humours° and conceits 
shall govern. [Exit. 

Jjor. dear discretion, how his words are suited"! 
The fool hath planted in his memory 
An army of good words ; and I do know 
A many fools, that stand in better place, 
Garni sh'd like him, that for a tricksy word 60 

Defy° the matter. How cheer'st thou, Jessica? 
And now, good sweet, say thy opinion. 
How dost thou like the Lord Bassanio's wife? 

Jes. Past all expressing. It is very meet 



Scene 5.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 85 

The Lord Bassanio live an upright life ; 

For, having such a blessing in his lady, 

He finds the joys of heaven here on earth ; 

And if on earth he do not mean it,° then 

In reason he should never come to heaven. 

Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match 70 

And on the wager lay two earthly women, 

And Portia one, there must be something else 

Pawn'd with the other; for the poor rude world 

Hath not her fellow. 

Lor. Even such a husband 

Hast thou of me as she is for a wife. 

Jes. Nay, but ask my opinion too of that. 

Lor. I will anon : first, let us go to dinner. 

Jes. Nay, let me praise you while I have a stomach. ° 

Lor. No, pray thee, let it serve for table-talk ; 
Then, howsoe'er thou speak'st, 'mong other things 80 
I shall digest it. 

Jes. Well, 1^11 set you forth. \_Exeunt. 



86 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

ACT FOURTH. — Scene I. 

Venice. A court of justice ° 

Enter the Duke, the Magnificoes, Antonio, Bassanio, 
Gratiano, Salerio, ayid others. 

Duke. What,° is Antonio here? 

Ant. Eeady, so please your Grace. 

DuJce. I am sorry for thee: thou art come to 
answer 
A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch 
Uncapable of pity, void and empty 
rrom° any dram of mercy. 

Ant. I have heard 

Your Grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify ° 
His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate," 
And that no lawful means can carry me 
Out of his envy's° reach, I do oppose lo 

My patience to his fury; and am arm'd 
To suffer, ° with a quietness of spirit, 
The very tyranny ° and rage of his. 

Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court. 

Saler. He is ready at the door; he comes, my 
lord. 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 87 

Enter Shylock. 

Duke. Make room, and let liim stand before our 
face. 
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too, 
That thou but lead'st this fashion" of thy malice 
To the last hour of act; and then 'tis thought 
Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse° more strange° 
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty; 21 

And where thou now exact' st the penalty, 
Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh. 
Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture, 
But touch'd with human gentleness and love, 
Forgive a moiety° of the principal; 
Glancing an eye of pity on his losses. 
That have of late so huddled on his back, 
Enow° to press a royal merchant down. 
And pluck commiseration of his state 30 

From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint. 
From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd 
To offices" of tender courtesy. 
We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.° 

Shy. I have possess'd° your Grace of what I pur- 
pose; 
And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn 



88 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV- 

To have the due and forfeit of my bond : 
If you deny it, let the danger light 
Upon your charter^ and your city's freedom. 
You'll ask me, why I. rather choose to have 40 

A weight of carrion-flesh than to receive 
Three thousand ducats: I'll not answer that: 
But, say, it is my humour°: is it answer'd? 
What if my house be troubled with a rat, 
And I be pleased to give ten thousand ducats 
To have it baned°? What, are you answer'd yet? 
Some men there are love not a gaping pig°; 
Some, that are mad if they behold a cat: 
Now, for your answer. 
As there is no firm reason to be render'd, 50 

Why he cannot abide a gaping pig; 
Why he, a harmless necessary cat; 
So can I give no reason, nor I will not, 
More than a lodged hate and a certain" loathing 
I bear Antonio, that I follow thus 
A losing" suit against him. Are you answer'd? 

Bass. This is no answer, thou unfeeling man, 
To excuse the current" of thy cruelty. 

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my 
answer. 

Bass. Do all men kill the things they do not love ? 60 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 89 

Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kilF? 

Bass. Every offence° is not a hate at first. 

Shy. What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee 
twice? 

Ant. I pray you, think° you question with the 
Jew: 
You may as well go stand upon the beach, 
And bid the main flood bate° his usual height; 
You may as well use question with the wolf, 
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb; 
You may as well forbid the mountain pines ° 
To wag their high tops, and to make no noise, ° 70 

When they are f retten° with the gusts of heaven ; 
You ma}^ as well do any thing most hard. 
As seek to soften that — than which what's harder? — 
His Jewish heart : therefore, T do beseech you, 
Make no more offers, use no farther means, 
But with all brief and plain conveniency° 
Let me have judgement and the Jew his will. 

Bass. For thy three thousand ducats here is six. 

Shy. If every ducat in six thousand ducats 
Were in six parts and every part a ducat, 80 

I would not draw them ; I would have my bond. 

Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering 
none? 



90 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV 

Shy. What judgement shall I dread, doing no 



wrong? 
You have among you many a purchased slave, 
Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules, 
You use in abject and in slavish parts, ° 
Because you bought them : shall I say to you. 
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs? 
Why sweat they under burthens? let their beds 
Be made as soft as yours, and let their palates 90 

Be seasoned with such viands? You will answer 
' The slaves are ours : ' so do I answer you : 
The pound of flesh, which I demand of him, 
Is dearly bought ; 'tis mine and I will have it. 
If you deny me, fie upon your law ! 
There is no force in the decrees of Venice. 
I stand for judgement: answer; shall I have it? 

Duke. Upon my power I may dismiss this court, 
Unless Bellario, a learned doctor, 
Whom I have sent for to determine this, 100 

Come here to-day. 

Saler. My lord, here stays without 

A messenger with letters from the doctor, 
New come from Padua. 

Duke. Bring us the letters ; call the messenger. 

Bass. Good cheer, Antonio! What, man, courage yet ! 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 91 

The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all, 
Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood. 

Ant. I am a tainted wether of the flock, 
Meetest for death : the weakest kind of fruit 
Drops earliest to the ground ; and so let me : j 

You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio, 
Than to live still, and write mine epitaph. 

Enter Nerissa, dressed like a Imvyer's cleric. 

Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario? 

J^er. From both, my lord. Bellario greets your 
Grace. [Presenting a letter. 

Bass. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly? 

Shy. To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt 
there. 

Gra. Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew, 
Thou makest thy knife keen; but no metal can, 
ISTo, not the hangman's axe, bear half the keenness 
Of thy sharp envy.° Can no prayers pierce thee? i 

Shy. No, none that thou hast wit° enough to make. 

Gra. 0, be thou damn'd, inexecrable° dog! 
And for thy life let justice be accused. ° 
Thou almost makest me waver in my faith, 
To hold opinion with Pythagoras, ° 
That souls of animals infuse themselves 



92 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

Into the trunks of men : thy currish spirit 

Govern' d a wolf, who hang'd° for human slaughter, 

Even from the gallows did his fell soul fleet, 

And, whilst thou lay'st in thy unhallow'd dam, 130 

Infused itself in thee ; for thy desires 

Are wolvish, bloody, starved and ravenous. 

Shy. Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond, 
Thou but offend' st° thy lungs to speak so loud: 
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall 
To cureless ruin. I stand here for law. 

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend 
A young and learned doctor to our court. 
Where is he? 

Ner. He attendeth here hard by, 

To know your answer, whether you'll admit him. 140 

Duke. With all my heart. Some three or four of 
you 
Go give him courteous conduct to this place. 
Meantime the court shall hear Bellario's letter. 

Clerk. [_recids] Your Grace shall understand that at 
the receipt of your letter I am very sick: but in the 
instant that your messenger came, in loving visitation" 
was with me a young doctor of Rome; his name is 
Balthasar. I acquainted him with the cause in con- 
troversy between the Jew and Antonio the merchant : 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 93 

we turned o'er many books together: he is furnished 150 
with my opinion; which, bettered with his own learn- 
ing, — the greatness whereof I cannot enough com- 
mend, — comes with him, at my importunity, to fill 
up your Grace's request in my stead. I beseech you, 
let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack° 
a reverend estimation; for I never knew so young a 
body with so old a head. I leave him to your gracious 
acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his com- 
mendation. 

Duke. You hear the learn' d Bellario, what he 
writes : i5o 

And here, I take it, is the doctor come. 

Entey^ Portia /or Balthasar. 

Give me your hand. Come you from old Bellario? 

Pot. T did, my lord. 

Duke. You are welcome : take your place. 

Are you acquainted with the difference" 
That holds this present question in the court? 

Por. I am informed thoroughly of the cause. 
Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew? 

Duke. Antonio and old Shylock, both stand forth. 

Por. Is your name Shylock? 

Shy. Shylock is my name. 



94 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

Por. Of a strange nature is the suit you follow; 
Yet in such rule that the Venetian law 171 

Cannot impugn° you as you do proceed. 
You stand within his danger, ° do you not? 

Ajit, Ay, so he says. 

Por. Do you confess the bond? 

Ant. I do. 

Pot. Then must the Jew be merciful. 

Shy. On what compulsion must I? tell me that. 
; Por. The quality ° of mercy is not strain'd,° 
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven 
Upon the place beneath : it is twice blest ; 
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes : 180 
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes 
The throned monarch better than his crown; 
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, 
The attribute to awe and majesty. 
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings ; 
But mercy is above this sceptred sway; 
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, 
It is an attribute" to God himself; 
And earthly power doth then show likest God's 
When mercy seasons" justice. ,) Therefore, Jew, 190 
Though justice be thy plea, consider this, 
That, in the course of justice, none of us 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 95 

Should see salvation : we do pray for mercy ; 

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render 

The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much 

To mitigate the justice of thy plea; 

Which if thou follow, ° this strict court of Venice 

Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there. 

Shy. My deeds upon my head° ! I crave the law, 
The penalty and forfeit of my bond. 200 

Por. Is he not able to discharge the money? 

Bass. Yes, here I tender it for him in the court; 
Yea, twice the sum : if that will not suffice, 
I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er. 
On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart : 
If this will not suffice, it must appear 
That malice bears down truth. ° And I beseech you, 
Wrest once the law to your authority : 
To do a great right, do a little wrong. 
And curb this cruel devil of his will. 210 

Por. It must not be°; there is no power in Venice 
Can alter a decree established : 
'Twill be recorded for a precedent. 
And many an error, ° by the same example, 
Will rush into the state: it cannot be.° 

Shy. A Daniel° come to judgement! yea, a Daniel! 
wise young judge, how I do honour thee ! 



96 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond. 

Shy. Here 'tis, most reverend doctor, here it is. 

Por. Shylock, there's thrice thy money offer'd 
thee. 220 

Shy. An oath, an oath, I have an oath in heaven : 
Shall I lay perjury upon my souF? 
No, not for Venice. 

Por. Why, this bond is forfeit; 

And lawfully by this the Jew may claim 
A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off 
Nearest the merchant's heart. Be merciful: 
Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond. 

Shy. When it is paid according to the tenour. 
It doth appear you are a worthy judge ; 
You know the law, your exposition 230 

Hath been most sound : I charge you by the law, 
Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar, 
Proceed to judgement : by my soul I swear 
There is no power in the tongue of man 
To alter me : I stay here on° my bond. 

Ant. Most heartily I do beseech the court 
To give the judgement. 

Por. Why then, thus it is : 

You must prepare your bosom for his knife. 

Shy. noble judge! excellent young man! 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 97 

Por. For the intent" and purpose" of the law 240 
Hath full relation to° the penalty, 
Which here appeareth due upon the bond. 

Shy. 'Tis very true: O wise and upright judge! 
How much more elder" art thou than thy looks ! 

Por. Therefore lay bare your bosom. 

Shy. Ay, his breast : 

So says the bond: — doth it not, noble judge? ^ 
'Nearest his heart": ' those are the very words. 

Por. It is so. Are there balance" here to weigh 
The flesh? 

Shy. I have them ready. 

Por. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your 
charge, 250 

To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death. 

Shy. Is it so nominated in the bond? 

Por. It is not so express'd: but what of that? 
'Twere good you do so much for charity. 

Shy. I cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond. 

Por. You, merchant, have you anything to say? 

Ant. But little: I am arm'd and well prepared. 
Give me your hand, Bassanio: fare you well! 
Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you ; 
For herein Fortune shows herself more kind 260 

Than is her custom : it is still her use" 



98 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

To let the wretched man outlive his wealth, 

To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow 

An age of poverty ; from which lingering penance 

Of such misery doth she cut me off. 

Commend me to your honourable wife : 

Tell her the process of Antonio's end; 

Say how I loved you, speak me fair in death°; 

And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge 

Whether Bassanio had not once a love. 270 

Eepent but you that you shall lose your friend, 

And he repents not that he pays your debt; 

For if the Jew do cut but deep enough, 

I'll pay it presently with all my heart. 

Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife 
Which is as dear to me as life itself; 
But life itself, my wife, and all the world, 
Are not with me esteem'd above thy life : 
I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all 
Here to this devil, to deliver you. 280 

For. Your wife would give you little thanks for 
that. 
If she were by, to hear you make the offer. 

Gra. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love : 
I would she were in heaven, so she could 
Entreat some power to change this currish Jew. 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 99 

Ner. 'Tis well you offer it behind her back; 
The wish would make else an unquiet house. 

Shy. These be the Christian husbands. I have a 
daughter ; 
Would any of the stock of Barrabas° 
Had been her husband rather than a Christian ! 290 

\_Aside. 
We trifle time : I pray thee, pursue sentence. 

Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is 
thine : 
The court awards it, and the law doth give it. 

Shy. Most rightful judge !° 

Pot. And you must cut this flesh from off his 
breast : 
The law allows it, and the court awards it. 

Shy. Most learned judge !° A sentence! Come, 
prepare ! 

Por. Tarry a little; there is something else. 
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood ; 
The words expressly are 'a pound of flesh: ' 300 

Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh; 
But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed 
One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods 
Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate 
Unto the state of Venice. ° 



100 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

Gra. O upright judge! Mark, Jew: learned 
judge! 

Shy. Is that the law? 

Por. Thyself shalt see the act : 

For, as thou urgest justice, be assured 
Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest. 309 

Gra. learned judge ! Mark, Jew : a learned judge ! 

Shy. I take this offer, then; pay the bond thrice, 
And let the Christian go. 

Bass. Here is the money. 

Por. Soft! 
The Jew shall have all justice ; soft ! no haste : 
He shall have nothing but the penalty. 

Gra. Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge! 

Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh. 
Shed thou no blood ; nor cut thou less nor more 
But just a pound of flesh : if thou cut'st more 
Or less than a just pound, be it but so much 320 

As makes it light or heavy in the substance, 
Or the division of the twentieth part 
Of one poor scruple, nay, if the scale do turn 
But in the estimation of a hair. 
Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate. 

Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! 
Now, infidel, I have you on the hip.° 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 101 

For. Why doth, the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture. 

Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go. 

Bass. I have it ready for thee ; here it is. 330 

Por. He hath refused it in the open court : 
He shall have merely justice and his bond. 

Gra. A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel! 
I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. 

Shy. Shall I not have barely my principal? 

Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture, ' 
To be so taken at thy peril, Jew. 

Shy. Why, then the devil give him good of it! 
I'll stay no longer question. 

Por. Tarry, Jew: 

The law hath yet another hold on you. 340 

It is enacted in the laws of Venice, 
If it be proved against an alien 
That by direct or indirect attempts 
He seek the life of any citizen, 
The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive 
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half 
Comes to the privy° coffer of the state ; 
And the offender's life lies in the mercy 
Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice. 
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st; 350 

For it appears, by manifest proceeding, 



102 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

That indirectly, and directly too, 
Thou hast contrived against the very life 
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurred 
The danger formerly by me rehearsed. 
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke. 

Gra. Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang thy- 
self: 
And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state. 
Thou hast not left the value of a cord ; 
Therefore thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. 360 

Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our 
spirits, 
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it : 
For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's; 
The other half comes to the general state, 
Which humbleness may drive unto° a fine. 

Por. Ay, for the state, not for Antonio. 

Shy. Nay, take my life and all ; pardon not that : 
You take my house, when you do take the prop 
That doth sustain my house ; you take my life. 
When you do take the means whereby I live. 37° 

Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? 

Ora. A halter° gratis; nothing else, for God's sake. 

Ant. So please my lord the Duke and all the court 
To quit the fine for° one half of his goods. 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 103 

I am content; so he will let me have 

The other half in use,° to render it, 

Upon his death, unto the gentleman 

That lately stole his daughter : 

Two things provided more, that, for this favour. 

He presently become a Christian; 380 

The other, that he do record a gift 

Here in the court, of all he dies possessed, 

Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter. 

Duke. He shall do this, or else I do recant 
The pardon that I late pronounced here. 

Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou 
say? 

Shy. I am content." 

Por. Clerk, draw a deed of gift. 

Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence; 
I am not well : send the deed after me. 
And I will sign it. 

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it. 390 

Gra. In christening shalt thou have two godfathers : 
Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more. 
To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.° 

\_Exit Shylock. 

Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. 

Por. I humbly do desire your Grace of pardon : 



104 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

I must away this night toward Padua, 
And it is meet I presently set forth, 

Duke. I am sorry that your leisure serves you 
not. 
Antonio, gratify" this gentleman, 
For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. 400 

\_Exeunt Duke and his train. 

Bass. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend 
Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted 
Of grievous penalties ; in lieu whereof, 
Three thousand ducats, ° due unto the Jew, 
We freely cope° your courteous pains withal. 

Ant. And stand indebted, over and above. 
In love and service to you evermore. 

Par. He is well paid that is well satisfied; 
And I, delivering you, am satisfied. 
And therein do account myself well paid : 410 

My mind was never yet more mercenary. 
I pray you, know me when we meet again: 
I wish you well, and so I take my leave. 

Bass. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further : 
Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute, 
Not as a fee : grant me two things, I pray you. 
Not to deny me,- and to pardon me. 

Po7\ You press me far, and therefore I will yield. 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 105 

Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake; 

\_To Ant. 
And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you: 420 

\_To Bass. 
Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more; 
And you in love shall not deny me this. 

Bass. This ring, good sir, alas, it is a trifle° ! 
I will not shame myself to give° you this. 

For. I will have nothing else but only this; 
And now methinks I have a mind to it. 

Bass. There's more depends on this than on the 
value. 
The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, 
And find it out by proclamation : 
Only for this, I pray you, pardon me. 430 

For. I see, sir, you are liberal in offers : 
You taught me first to beg; and now methinks 
You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd. 

Bass. Good sir, this ring was given me by my 
wife ; 
And when she put it on, she made me vow 
That I should neither sell nor give nor lose it. 

For. That 'sense serves many men to save their 
gifts. 
An if your wife be not a mad-woman. 



106 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act IV. 

And know how well I have deserved the ring, 

She would not hold out enemy for ever, 440 

For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you! 

\Exeunt Poutia and Nerissa. 

Ant. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring: 
Let his deservings and my love withal 
Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment. 

Bass. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him ; 
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou canst 
Unto Antonio's house : away ! make haste. 

[Exit Gkatiano. 
Come, you and I will thither presently ; 
And in the morning early will we both 
Fly toward Belmont : come, Antonio. [J^Jxewn^. 450 

Scene II. 

The same. A street. 

Enter Portia and Nerissa. 

For. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this 
deed 
And let him sign it: we'll away to-night 
And be a day before our husbands home : 
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo. 



Scene 2.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 107 

Enter Gbatiano. 

Gra. Fair sir, you are well o'erta'en : 
My Lord Bassanio upon more advice° 
Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat 
Your company at dinner. 

For. That cannot be : 

His ring I do accept most thankfully : 
And so, I pray you, tell him : furthermore, lo 

I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house. 

Gra. That will I do. 

Ner. Sir, I would speak with you. 

I'll see if I can get my husband's ring, 

[Aside to Portia. 
Which I did make him swear to keep for ever. 

For. \_Aside to Ner.] Thou mayst, I warrant. We 
shall have old° swearing 
That they did give the rings away to men; 
But we'll outface them, and outswear them too. 
[Aloud] Away! make haste: thou know'st where I 
will tarry. 

Ner. Come, good sir, will you show me to this 
house? [Exeunt. 



108 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act V. 

ACT FIFTH.— Scene I. 

Belmont.° Avenue to Portia's house. 

Enter Lorenzo and Jessica. 

Lor. The moon shines bright : in such a night as 
this, 
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees 
And they did make no noise, in such a night 
Troilus° methinks mounted the Troyan walls, 
And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents, 
Where Cressid lay that night. 

Jes. In such a night 

Did Thisbe° fearfully o'ertrip the dew. 
And saw the lion's shadow ere himself. 
And ran dismay 'd away. 

Lor. In such a night 

Stood Dido° with a willow in her hand lo 

Upon the wild sea banks, and waft her love 
To come again to Carthage. 

Jes. In such a night 

Medea° gather' d the enchanted herbs 
That did renew old iEson. 

Lor. In such a night 

Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew, 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 109 

And with an untlirift love did run from Venice 
As far as Belmont. 

Jes. In such a night 

Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well, 
Stealing her soul with many vows of faith 
And ne'er a true one. 

Lor. In such a night 20 

Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew. 
Slander her love, and he forgave it her. 
Jes. I would out-night you, did no body come; 
But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.° 

Enter Stephano. 

Lor. Who comes so fast in silence of the night? 

StepJi. A friend. 

Lor. A friend! what friend? your name, I pray 
you, friend? 

Steph. Stephano is my name ; and I bring word 
My mistress will before the break of day 
Be here at Belmont : she doth stray about 30 

By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays 
For happy wedlock hours. 

Lor. Who conies with her? 

Steph. None but a holy hermit and her maid. 
I pray you, is my master yet returned? 



110 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act V. 

Lot. He is not, nor we have not heard from him. 
But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica, 
And ceremoniously let us prepare 
Some welcome for the mistress of the house. 

Enter Launcelot. 

Laun. Sola, sola°! wo ha, ho! sola, sola! 

Lor. Who calls? 40 

Lau7i. Sola! did you see Master Lorenzo? Master 
Lorenzo, sola, sola! 

Lor. Leave hollaing, man : here. 

Laun. Sola! where? where? 

L^or. Here. 

Laun. Tell him there's a post come from my master, 
with his horn full of good news : my master will be 
here ere morning. [Exit. 

Lor. Sweet soul, let's in, and there expect their 
coming. 
And yet no matter: why should we go in? 50 

My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you. 
Within the house, your mistress is at hand; 
And bring your music forth into the air. 

[Exit Stephano. 
How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! 
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 111 

Creep in our ears : soft stillness and the night 
Become" the touches" of sweet harmony. 
Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven 
Is thick inlaid with patines° of bright gold : 
There's not the smallest orb which thou behold' st 
But in his motion like an angel sings, ° 6i 

Still quiring" to the young-eyed cherub ins"; 
Such harmony is in immortal souls ; 
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay" 
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it." 

Enter Musicians. 

Come, ho, and wake Diana" with a hymn ! 
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear. 
And draw her home with music. \_Music. 

Jes. I am never merry when I hear sweet music. 

Lor. The reason is, your spirits" are attentive" : 70 
For do but note a wild and wanton herd. 
Or race of youthful and unhandled colts. 
Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud, 
Which is the hot condition of their blood; 
If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound. 
Or any air of music touch their ears. 
You shall perceive them make a mutual" stand, 
Their savage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze 



112 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act V. 

By the sweet power of music : therefore the poet° 

Did f eign° that Orpheus° drew trees, stones and floods ; 

Since nought so stockish, hard and full of rage, 8i 

But music for the time doth change his nature. 

The man that hath no music in himself. 

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, 

Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils ; 

The motions of his spirit° are dulF as night, 

And his affections dark as Erebus°: 

Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.° 

Enter Portia and Nekissa. 

For. That light we see is burning in my hall. 
How far that little candle throws his beams ! 90 

So shines a good deed° in a naughty° world. 

Ner. When the moon shone, we did not see the 
candle. 

Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less : 
A substitute shines brightly as a king. 
Until a king be by ; and then his state 
Empties itself, as doth an inland brook 
Into the main of waters. Music! hark! 

Ner. It is your music, madam, of the house. 

Por. Nothing is good, I see, without respect° : 
Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day. 100 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 113 

Ner. Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam. 

Par. The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark, 
When neither is attended^; and I think 
The nightingale, if she should sing by day, 
When every goose is cackling, would be thought 
No better a musician than the wren. 
How many things by season° season' d° are 
To their right j)raise and true perfection! 
Peace, ° ho! the moon sleeps with Endyraion,° 
And would not be awaked. [_Music ceases. 

Lor. That is the voice, no 

Or I am much deceived, of Portia. 

Por. He knows me as the blind man knows tlie 
cuckoo. 
By the bad voice. 

Lor. Dear lady, welcome home. 

Por. We have been praying for our husbands' 
healths. 
Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. 
Are they return'd? 

Lor. Madam, they are not yet; 

But there is come a messenger before, 
To signify their coming. 

Por. Go in, Nerissa; 

Give order to my servants that they take 



114 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act V. 

No note at all of our being absent hence; 120 

Nor you, Lorenzo; Jessica, nor you. 

\_A tuckef sounds. 

Lor. Your husband is at hand ; I hear his trumpet : 
We are no tell-tales, madam ; fear you not. 

Por. This night methinks is but the daylight sick; 
It looks a little paler : 'tis a day. 
Such as the day is when the sun is hid. 

Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their 
followers. 

Bass. We should hold day with the Antipodes, ° 
If you would walk in absence of the sun. 

Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light°; 
For a light wife doth make a heavy° husband, 130 

And never be Bassanio so for me : 
But God sort° all! You are welcome home, my 
lord. 
Bass. I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my 
friend. 
This is the man, this is Antonio, 
To whom I am so infinitely bound. 

Por. You should in all sense be much bound to 
him. 
For, as I hear, he was much bound for you.° 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 115 

Ant. No more than I am well acquitted of. 

Pot. Sir, you are very welcome to our house : 
It must appear in other ways than words, 140 

Therefore I scant this breathing courtesy. ° 

Gra. [To Nerissa.] By yonder moon I swear you 
do me wrong; 
In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk: 

Por. A quarrel, ho, already! what's the matter? 

Gra. About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring 
That she did give me, whose posy° was 
For all the world like cutler's poetry 
Upon a knife, 'Love me, and leave me not.' 

Ner. What talk you of the posy or the value? 
You swore to me, when I did give it you, 150 

That you would wear it till your hour of death, 
And that it should lie with you in your grave : 
Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths. 
You should have been respective, ° and have kept it. 
Gave it a judge's clerk! no, God's my judge. 
The clerk will ne'er wear hair on 's face that had it. 

Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man. 

Ner. Ay, if a woman live to be a man. 

Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth, 
A kind of boy, a little scrubbed° boy, 160 

No higher than thyself, the judge's clerk, 



116 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act V. 

A prating boy, that begg'd it as a fee: 
I could not for my heart deny it him. 

Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, 
To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; 
A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger 
And so riveted with faith unto your flesh. 
I gave my love a ring, and made him swear 
Never to part with it; and here he stands; 
I dare be sworn for him he would not leave it 170 

Nor pluck it from his finger, for the wealth 
That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano, 
You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief : 
An 'twere to me, I should be mad° at it. 

Bass. \_Aside\ Why, I were best to cut my left 
hand off. 
And swear I lost the ring defending it. 

Gra. My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away 
Unto the judge that begg'd it, and indeed 
Deserved it too ; and then the boy, his clerk, 
That took some pains in writing, he begg'd mine; 180 
And neither man nor master would take aught 
But the two rings. 

Por. What ring gave you, my lord? 

Not that, I hope, which you received of me. 

Bass. If I could add a lie unto a fault, 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 111 

I would deny it; but you see my finger 
Hath not tlie ring upon it, it is gone. 

Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. 

Bass. Sweet Portia, 

If you did know to whom I gave the ring, 
If you did know for whom I gave the ring, 190 

And would conceive for what I gave the ring, 
And how unwillingly I left the ring, 
When nought would be accepted but the ring. 
You would abate the strength of your displeasure. 

Por. If you had known the virtue of the ring, 
Or half her worthiness that gave the ring, 
Or your own honour to contain" the ring, 
You would not then have parted with the ring. 
What man is there so much unreasonable. 
If you had pleased to have defended it 200 

With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty° 
To° urge the thing held as a ceremony"? 
Nerissa teaches me what to believe : 
I'll die for 't but some woman had the ring. 

Bass. No, by my honour, madam, by my soul. 
No woman had it, but a civil doctor, 
Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, 
And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him. 
And suffer'd him to go displeased away; 



118 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act V. 

Even he that did uphold the very life 210 

Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? 

I was enforced to send it after him; 

I was beset with shame and courtesy; 

My honour would not let ingratitude 

So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady; 

For, by these blessed candles of the night. 

Had you been there, I think you would have begged 

The ring of me to give the worthy doctor. 

For. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house : 
Since he hath got the jewel that I loved, 220 

And that which you did swear to keep for me, 
I will become as liberal as you; 
I'll not deny him any thing I have. 

Ner. Nor I his clerk; therefore be well advised° 
How you do leave me to mine own protection. 

Ant. I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels. 

Poi\ Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome not- 
withstanding. 

Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; 
And, in the hearing of these many friends, 
I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes, 230 

Wherein I see myself, — 

Por. Mark you but that ! 

In both my eyes he doubly sees himself; 



Scene 1.] THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 119 

In each, eye, one : swear by your double self, 
And there's an oath of credit. 

Bass. Nay, but hear me : 

Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear 
I never more will break an oath with thee. 

Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealth"; 
Which, ° but for him that had your husband's ring, 
Had quite miscarried^ : I dare be bound again. 
My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord 240 

Will never more break faith advisedly. 

For. Then you shall be his surety. Give him this. 
And bid him keep it better than the other. 

Ant. Here, Lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. 

Bass. By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor! 

For. I had it of him : pardon me, Bassanio. 

Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano. 

For. You are all amazed: 
Here is a letter; read it at your leisure; 
It comes from Padua, from Bellario : 250 

There you shall find that Portia was the doctor, 
Nerissa there her clerk : Lorenzo here 
Shall witness I set forth as soon as you, 
And even but now return' d; I have not yet 
Enter'd my house. Antonio, you are welcome; 
And I have better news in store for you 



120 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE [Act V. 

Than you expect : unseal this letter soon ; 

There you shall find three of your argosies 

Are richly come to harbour suddenly : 

You shall not know by what strange accident 260 

I chanced on this letter. 

Ant. I am dumb. 

Bass. Were you the doctor and I knew you not? 

Ant. Sweet lady, you have given me life and living; 
For here I read for certain that my ships 
Are safely come to road. 

Pot. How now, Lorenzo ! 

My clerk hath some good comforts too for you. 

Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee. 
There do I give to you and Jessica, 
From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift, 
After his death, of all he dies possess'd of. 270 

Lor. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way 
Of starved people. 

For. It is almost morning, 

And yet I am sure you are not satisfied 
Of these events at full. Let us go in; 
And charge us there upon inter'gatories,° 
And we will answer all things faithfully. 

Gra. Well, while I live I'll fear no other thing 
So sore as keeping safe Nerissa's ring. \_ExeuyLt. 



NOTES 



Act I. Scene I. 

Venice. Althougli in the Elizabethan age in England there 
was almost no scenery on the rude stages of the London theatres, 
yet to Shakespeare, and to the people who saw his plays, the 
very mention of Venice must have suggested everything most 
brilliant and magnificent. Travellers who had recently returned 
to England gave almost incredible descriptions of the fair " Bride 
of the Adriatic," as Venice was called. The audience assem- 
bled in the theatre could easily picture the wondrously built 
Italian city ; in the sunlight they could see the glow of white 
marble and gold from the walls of her palaces, and could catch 
the iridescent rays of color reflected from the mosaics that orna- 
mented her churches, or at night they could hear the cry of the 
gondolier, as he pushed his boat around the winding canals. 

The colored photographs of Venice, now comparatively inex- 
pensive even in America, are very helpful in gaining some con- 
ception of this city. See, especially, the views of the Grand 
Canal, of the Rialto, of the Ducal Palace, and of St. Mark's. 

However insufficient the scenery of the Elizabethan stage 
may have been, the actors were not failing in splendor of cos- 
tume. "We do not need to know the exact fashions at Venice 
in the sixteenth century, but we must imagine them as rich and 
picturesque. Antonio, Godwin thinks, would wear a doublet, 
121 



122 NOTES [Act I. 

trunk-hose, stockings, and shoes. Over his shoulders would be a 
large cape of silk or brocade, with a collar ; around his neck and 
wrists ruffs ; on his head a cap of some becoming shape, and on 
his hands gloves. Knight thinks that Bassanio would be simi- 
larly attired, but with somewhat more splendor apparently. 
His doublet and hose would be slashed into openings shaped 
like stars or crosses, and through these slashes would be seen 
brilliant silk linings. Gold buttons, lace, and velvet would add 
to the richness of his lover's outfit. 

[In the text a small mark, "°", is placed after words or 
phrases commented upon in the notes. The numerals below 
refer to the numbers of the lines. Until the end of the second 
scene no references are made to the metre, as this matter should 
not be considered at the very beginning of the play — not until 
the language has grown a little familiar, and the characters 
have won the student's interest.] 

1. 2. It. What ? 

1. 3. caught it, found it, came by it. Are these three ex- 
pressions synonymous ? 

1. 6. want-wit. Of the several meanings given in the dic- 
tionary for wit^ which is the one intended here ? 

1. 8. ocean. Pronounce as a trisyllable. 

1. 9. argosies. Large merchantmen, probably so named from 
the Adriatic port, Ragusa. Some scholars have maintained that 
the word argosy has some connection with Argo, the name of the 
ship in which Jason (I., i., 172) sailed for the Golden Fleece, 
but no reference to the ship Argo is traceable in the early use 
of the word. 



Scene 1.] NOTES 123 

1. 10. signiors. Gentlemen. 

1. 10. burghers. Citizens. 

1. 11, pageants. The movable stages which were drawn 
around the streets in Shakespeare's day, and on which plays 
were acted or tableaux presented. They were similar to the 
"floats" in our modern street processions. 

1. 13. curt'sy. What would cause "the petty traffickers" 
really to appear to " curt'sy " ? 

1. 14. What comparison is implied in this line ? What 
alliteration is there ? 

1.17. abroad. Cf, Matt. vi. 21. " For where your treasure 
is, there will your heart be also." 

1. 17. still. Always, Note that the word frequently has 
this meaning in Shakespeare, 

1, 18. Plucking the grass. Would a Venetian be likely to 
talk much about grass ? 

1. 19. roads. In the name of what harbor in the United 
States is this word still preserved with the meaning intended 
here ? 

1. 28. Vailing. Lowering, dipping. 

1. 29. burial. What other word is usually in compound 
with this when the meaning is the one here intended ? 

1. 35. this. Salarino accompanies this word with some ges- 
ture expressive of the great value of the ship's cargo. 

1. 36. thought. Power of mind or of imagination. 



124 NOTES [Act I. 

1. 37. thought. Here used in the ordinary sense. 

1. 38. such a thing. Does Salarino mean by this, such a sit- 
uation as that in which Antonio is placed, or, such an accident 
as the one imagined just nowf 

1. 39. What word should be emphasized in reading this line ? 

1. 40. to think. This apparent infinitive is really not an 
infinitive at all, but a gerund, a construction that w^ill be un- 
derstood by Latin students. In order to give the intended 
meaning in modern English, it will be necessary to change 
the verb to the participle in "-ing," and to prefix some other 
preposition than "to." In the present instance "to think" 
translates best as "in thinking," or "because of thinking." 
This gerund originally had a different ending to distinguish it 
from the infinitive. 

1. 42. in one bottom. What common proverb would express 
the idea of this line ? 

1. 47. Not . . . neither. Would two negatives be right here 
to-day ? 

1. 50. Janus. Why is it especially fitting here that Salarino 
should swear by the two-headed Roman god? (Clas. Diet.) 

1. 54. aspect'. Accent the second syllable. 

1. 55. in way of. What ellipsis before way ? 

1. 56. Nestor. The oldest and most serious-minded of the 
Greek warriors that went to the Trojan war. {Clas. Diet.) 

1.57. your most noble kinsman. Whose kinsman ? 



Scene 1.] NOTES 125 

1. 61. prevented. Come before. The word is used in its 
original Latin meaning. 

1. QQ. laugh. Have a good time together. To whom is Bas- 
sanio talking ? 

1. 67. exceeding. What form of this word would we require 
here to-day ? 

1. 67. strange. Like a stranger. 

1. 74. respect. Thought. 

1. 75. lose. In what sense may Antonio, even at the time 
that Gratiano is speaking, be said to be " losing the world " ? 

I. 77. What word should be emphasized in reading this line ? 

II. 78, 79. play a part. Cf. the familiar lines in As You 
Like It: — 

*' All the world's a stage, 
And all the men and women merely players." 

1. 79. fool. This is not used at all in the modern sense of 
the word, but in reference to a professional jester, known as 
the "court-fool," a personage who was kept in the palace to 
amuse the king and his nobles. 

1. 82. mortifying. Deadly, used in the strict Latin sense. 
What other instance have we had in the play of a word used 
with its original Latin meaning ? In regard to the statement 
made in this line Rolfe says, "There may be an allusion here 
to the old belief that every sigh or groan robbed the heart of a 
drop of blood." Judging from the first seven lines of Gratiano's 



126 NOTES [Act I. 

speech, what should you say was his theory as to the cause of 

3? 



1. 89. cream . . . mantle. Both used as verbs, although used 
to-day chiefly as nouns. 

1, 90, entertain. Maintain. 

1. 91. With purpose. With the purpose. 

1. 91. opinion. Reputation. 

1. 92. conceit. This word generally meant thought, as here. 
To what have we narrowed its meaning ? 

I. 93. As who. What ellipsis here ? 

II. 93, 94. In what tone do you suppose Gratiano would 
speak these lines, and how would they be greeted by the others, 
including Antonio ? 

1. 96. That therefore only, etc. Who are reputed wise merely 
for saying nothing. 

I. 98. would. An ellipsis of the subject. 

II. 98, 99. those ears, Which. Those people who. In expla- 
nation of this line recall the following, Matt. v. 22 : " But I say 
unto you. That whosoever is angry with his brother without a 
cause shall be in danger of the judgment : and whosoever shall 
say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council : but 
whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." 

1. 102. gudgeon. A cheap fish easily caught. Explain the 
comparison. 

1. 104. exhortation after dinner. It is thought that Shake- 
speare is making a hit at the enthusiastic preachers of the 



Scene 1.] NOTES 127 

Protestant churches of his day, who often had such long ser- 
mons, that their congregations had to come back after dinner 
to hear the end of them — this in spite of the fact that an hour- 
glass was kept in plain sight on an iron stand near the pulpit. 
What other reference has already been made to a distinguishing 
feature of Elizabethan times ? Kecall all the comparisons ex- 
pressed or implied in lines 79-102. 

1. 105. leave you. Why had not Lorenzo taken his leave at 
I., i., 70? 

1. 108. moe. More. 

1. 110. for this gear. A phrase equivalent to "for this 
stuff" ; i.e. for what you have said against silent people. 

1. 124. something. Somewhat. As regards the meaning, 
what word does this modify, and what order of words would 
make the meaning of the verse clearer ? 

1. 126. to be abridged. The gerund. How will you trans- 
late the phrase according to the suggestions in the note on I., 
l.,40? 

1. 129. my time. What very common excuse does Bassanio 
offer as a reason for his extravagance ? 

1. 137. Within the eye of. Within range of, in the limits of. 

1. 141. flight. Arrows were said to have different "flights," 
or ranges, according to their weight and shape, 

1. 142. advised. Here, as often, the -ed should be pro- 
nounced as a separate syllable. 

1. 145. innocence. Is Bassanio ashamed of his request or not ? 
Think whether innocence means childishness here, or honesty? 



128 NOTES [Act I. 

1. 148. self. Same, very. 

I. 150. As. For so. 

II. 150, 151. or . . . Or. What would modern usage demand 
here ? 

1. 154. circumstance. Ceremony. 

1. 155. An expression in this line that occurred before ; 
where ? 

1.156. question. In what sense had Bassanio " questioned " 
Antonio's means ? 

1. 160. prest. Prompt. 

1. 162. that word. What word ? 

1. 163. sometimes. In times past. 

1. 166. Brutus' Portia. A noble Roman lady, the wife of 
the Brutus who led the conspiracy against Julius Caesar. See 
Shakespeare's Julius G(Bsar and Clas. Diet. 

1. 169. What especially beautiful phrase in this line ? 

1. 170. The golden fleece was kept carefully guarded by the 
king of Colchos, a country bordering on the Black Sea. A 
mythical Greek hero, Jason, with a band of brave men in his 
wonderful ship, the Argo., sailed in quest of it. By the aid of 
Medea, a sorceress, the daughter of the king, he succeeded in 
getting the treasure. See Clas. Diet. 

1. 174. one. Any one. 

1. 175. presages. Ellipsis of the subject. 

1. 183. presently. Immediately. Remember that the word 
is constantly used in this meaning in Shakespeare. 



Scene 1.] NOTES 129 

I. 185. of my trust. On my credit. What is the difference 
between thi.s and for my sake ? 

II. 1-67. What, in brief, are all the possible causes that have 
been suggested for Antonio's sadness ? Does Gratiano succeed 
any better than the others in cheering Antonio ? Is Gratiano 
sincere in all he says? With what feehngs do Gratiano and 
Antonio part ? 

11. 1-110. Is Antonio telling the truth in I., i., 1, or does he 
not wish to tell the cause of his sadness ? How does Salarino 
succeed in his attempts to cheer Antonio ? With what feelings 
do they part ? How does Antonio prove himself a gentleman ? 
One of the foregoing speakers is a good artist in language ; using 
his own words as much as possible, give some of the pictures 
that he draws, and tell what words were especially well chosen 
by him. What is Antonio's reputation as a merchant ? 

II. 1-185. Why does Bassanio not question Antonio as to the 
cause of his sadness ? Is Bassanio in love with Portia ? Has he 
seen her? What can you tell of the personal appearance of 
Portia ? What does Bassanio consider essential in a beautiful 
woman besides beauty of face ? What is the cause of Antonio's 
sadness ? natural disposition ? disappointed love ? presenti- 
ment ? loneliness ? selfishness ? Name in this scene the five 
single words or very short phrases which you consider express 
the most, and express it with great beauty or great exactness. 
Two subjects, the cause of Antonio's gloom, and the reason 
why Bassanio wished to win Portia, it will be well to keep in 
mind for long themes at the end of the play. 



130 NOTES [Act I. 

Scene II 

Belmont. Mrs. Jameson imagines Belmont as "on some 
lovely promontory " northeast of Venice, and " overlooking the 
blue Adriatic," w^ith hills or mountains " for its background." 
In her fancy this writer sees Portia treading "among marble 
palaces, beneath roofs of fretted gold, o'er cedar floors and 
pavements of jasper and porphyry, amid gardens full of statues, 
and flowers, and fountains, and haunting music." Doubtless 
Shakespeare himself dreamed of nothing less beautiful or 
romantic for the environment of his heroine. 

Portia. "We may imagine the dress of Portia made of costly 
silk and velvet, cut in some old Venetian style, and looped and 
embroidered with pearls and jewels. Chains of pearls would 
probably be around her neck and in her hair, and a dainty reti- 
cule hung from her girdle. 

Nerissa was not an ordinary servant, but a gentlewoman, 
suited to be the companion, as well as the attendant, of her 
' mistress. Her name signifies " black." If she was dark, would 
her complexion resemble that of Portia, or not ? 

1. 1. troth. Another form of what word, and meaning the 
same as what word in the first line of Scene i. ? Portia is in a 
mood similar to that of what other person in the play ? 

1. 8. in the mean. We speak commonly of "the golden 
mean" between two extremes. 

I. 8. What expression is there in this line that we had in 
another form in I., i., 3 ? Is it familiar to you in conversation ? 

II. 8, 9. It will be easier to understand the comparison in 



Scene 2.] NOTES 131 

these two lines, if, for the abstract qualities of superfluity and 
competency we substitute personalities, a person over wealthy, 
and one enjoying a competency. 
1. 10. pronounced. Uttered. 

I. 18. temper. Disposition. 

II. 19, 20. What picture do you see in this comparison ? 

1. 26. nor . . . none. Where in I., i., have we had an 
instance of the same construction, of the double negative ? 

1. 35. over-name. Give some other modern compound words 
where over still comes first. 

1. 37. level. What comparison has Portia in mind ? 
1. 39. Explain the pun in this line. 
1. 40. appropriation. Addition. 
1. 42. County. Count. 

1. 42. Palatine. Having privileges similar to those of a king. 
Allied to the word palace. 

1. 43. What ellipsis in this line ? Where did' the same ex- 
pression occur before in one of Gratiano's speeches ? 

1. 44. choose. How do you interpret the words that Portia 
imagines the Count as saying ? Some have thought it was meant 
to be punctuated thus: "If you will not have me choose — " 
What would it mean then ? 

1. 46. weeping philosopher. Heraclitus, a Greek philoso- 
pher ; justly or not, he was thought of as always groaning over 
the sins of men, and received this epithet in contrast to that of 
Democritus, the "laugher." 



132 HOTES [Act I. 

1. 47. sadness. Miss Bates asks whether the sadness of the 
Count resembles that of Antonio. Does it ? Does it resemble 
that of the " dumb wise men " that Gratiano talked about ? 

1. 50. by. What other preposition would be used here to- 
day ? 

1. 61. requite him. How ? 

1. 64. What words are punned upon ? 

1. 68. proper. Pretty. 

1. 70. suited. Dressed. 

1. 79. sealed under. Became surety for. Explain the trans- 
action. 

1.85. an. If. "An" occurs very often in Shakespeare 
with this meaning. 

1. 86. fall. In the sense intended here, what prefix would 
we put to this word ? 

1. 92. contrary. Wrong. 

1. 100. sort. Manner. 

1. 101. imposition. Command. How have we narrowed its 
meaning ? 

1. 102. Sibylla. There were in Roman story several pro- 
phetic women known as sibyls. This one was doubtless the 
Cumsean Sibyl, to whom Apollo promised as many years of life 
as she could hold grains of sand in her hand. She unfortunately 
forgot to ask for youth, and at last after many centuries she 
withered away until she was only a voice. 



Scene 2.] NOTES 133 

1. 103. Diana. The sister of Apollo, and a virgin. 

1. 119. four. What should the number be ? Some think 
that this shows a trace of an old play that Shakespeare used as 
the basis of the Merchant of Venice. 

I. 125. condition. Disposition. 

II. 1-129. About which one of the suitors does Portia make 
the most cutting remarks ? Why, probably, have these suitors 
given up the attempt to win Portia ? Does Portia feel that she 
is doing wrong to "mock " the suitors as she does in this scene ? 
Does she show her confidence in Nerissa ? What have you 
learned from this scene of Portia's age, appearance, education, 
and character ? Does Nerissa know which is the right casket ? 
Why do you think that Portia's father made such a will? Ought 
Portia to obey the will under all circumstances ? Is she de- 
termined to do so ? Why is Portia ' ' aweary of this great 
world"? What do we learn of Bassanio from this scene? 
Was he right in his impression of Portia's feeling toward him- 
self ? What purpose does Nerissa serve in this scene ? Kecall 
all the comparisons made or implied in this scene. Which 
seems the most witty ? Which the most beautiful ? (Make 
references to definite lines. ) Keep in mind all you learn of the 
character of Portia and of Bassanio, that later you may discuss 
their characters in themes. 

Read over, toward the end of the notes, the article entitled, 
The Metre of the Play. Where do you find prose in these last 
two scenes, and what seems in each case to be the reason for the 
change from verse to prose, or vice versa 9 Where do you find 
incomplete lines, or Alexandrines ? Reasons for such lines ? 
Find three lines, in each of which a trochee or an anapest is 



134 NOTES [Act I. 

substituted for an iambus. Where do you find any rhymes? 
Eind three lines with feminine endings. 



Scene III 

public place. We may imagine the place to be an open 
plaza, cleanly paved. Lounging in the shade of the buildings, 
and talking here and there in little groups, we may fancy the 
richly dressed Venetian gentlemen and merchants, while an 
occasional street vender strolls by trying to dispose of the 
wares that he carries in his basket. 

Shylock. Edwin Booth, one of the best actors that ever took 
the part of Shylock, writes: "My costume for Shylock . . . 
consists of a long, dark-green gown, trimmed at the edge of the 
skirt with an irregular device of brown colour. A dark-brown 
gaberdine, with flowing sleeves and hood, lined with green, and 
trimmed as the gown. A variegated scarf about the waist, from 
which depends a leather pouch. Red-leather pointed shoes, and 
a hat of orange-tawny colour. . . . Hea.d gray and pretty bald ; 
beard of same colour and quite long. Ear-rings and several 
finger-rings, one on the thumb and one on forefinger ; a long, 
knotted staff." (Quoted by Dr. Eurness.) 

Booth : " Shylock enters with slow, shuffling gait ; restless, 
half-closed eyes, and the fingers of his disengaged hand (one 
holds his staff) ever moving, as if from the constant habit of 
feeling and caressing the ducats that are passing through them. 
Speaks with a measured and rather a gruff voice." 

G. H. Lewes, speaking of another famous actor, Kean, writes : 
"Erom the first moment that he appeared and leant upon his 



Scene 3.] NOTES 135 

stick to listen gravely while moneys are requested of him, he 
impressed the audience, as Douglas Jerrold used to say, ' like 
a chapter of Genesis. ' ' ' 

1. 1 . ducats. ' ' The value of the Venetian silver ducat was 
about that of the American dollar." — Rolfe. If the golden 
dacat is referred to here, the sum would he many times larger. 

1. 7. May you. Are you willing ? 

1. 12. good. In what sense does Shylock use this word, and 
how does Bassanio at first understand him ? 

1. 19. Rialto. The board of trade at Venice, a building 
located at the end of the famous bridge which was known as 
the Rialto, and which is more generally thought of when that 
name is mentioned. 

1. 21. squandered. Scattered. What does Shylock think of 
Antonio's business judgment in thus scattering his ventures 
abroad ? 

1. 29. assured. How does Shylock change the meaning of 
Bassauio's words? 

1. 33. Nazarite is used here in the sense of Nazarene. 

1. 34. devil into. In this connection note the following : 
(Two men "possessed with devils" have cried out on the 
approach of Jesus.) "So the devils besought him, saying, If 
thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of 
swine. 

"And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come 
out, they went into the herd of swine ; and, behold, the whole 
herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and 
perished in the waters." Matt. viii. 31, 32. 



136 NOTES [Act I. 

1. 39. publican. A Roman tax-gatherer in the time that 
Rome ruled Judsea. These people, under the system known 
as "farming out" the taxes, made themselves very obnoxious 
to the Jews. The law allowed them to keep for themselves as 
much money as they could get in addition to the established 
tax. Jesus was especially despised by the Jews, we remember, 
because he associated " with p^foZica^s and sinners" (Matt. 
x. 11). 

1. 39. fawning. The publicans could not usually be de- 
scribed by this epithet — quite the contrary, indeed. But there 
must have been something a little more agreeable — or less 
insulting — in Antonio's appearance, to draw forth the adjec- 
tive from Shylock, and lead him to join it to the most infamous 
name he knew. Is it natural for Shylock thus to refer to pas- 
sages in the New Testament ? 

1. 39. Why is verse resumed with this line ? 

1. 43. usance. In this play usance, as well as usury, means 
simply interest. To be sure, the Jews were said to charge a rate 
of fifteen per cent at Venice in those days, but interest at what- 
ever rate was considered wrong. Men could understand how 
animals and plants could reproduce after their kind, and mul- 
tiply without the hand of man, but money — metal — was a 
"barren" thing, and there was something uncanny in the 
thought of its increase. 

1. 44. upon the hip. A phrase used in wrestling. 

1. 46. rails. Scolds. 

1. 48. thrift. Is this word used here with the same mean- 



Scene 3.] NOTES 137 

ing as ill I., i., 175 ? Which does Shylock think more at stake, 
his honor as a man and a merchant, or his honor as a Jew ? 
What have Antonio and Bassanio been saying during this aside 
of Shylock's? 

11. 51-58. Where does Shylock play the hypocrite in this 
speech, and why ? At the end of the speech has he decided to 
lend the money ? 

1. 61. ripe wants. What comparison is suggested in the 
word ripe ? 

I. 62. possess'd. Informed. Often used in Shakespeare 
with this meaning. 

II. 67, 68. What prompts Shylock to speak these lines ? 
1. 68. use. Make a practice of. 

1. 71. As. In the same sense as in I., i., 150. 

1. 72. third possessor. You will recall the trick that Rebekah 
practised in order to deceive Isaac, and to get for Jacob the 
blessings and the rights of the elder son, Esau. See Gen. xxvii. 

1. 72. ay, he was the third. Some actors give this line in 
an exultant voice ; some only in a hesitating manner, as if 
Shylock was only trying to accurately remember the facts. 

I. 76. compromised. Agreed. The following lines simply 
give another instance in which Jacob won prosperity by shrewd- 
ness. 

II. 69-84. Why does Shylock tell this long story, that is so 
little to the point of the discussion, especially when the Chris- 
tians are in a hurry for the money ? 



138 NOTES [Act I. 

1. 88. inserted. Where ? 

1. 92, Scripture. On what occasion in the New Testament 
is the devil recorded as "citing Scripture for his purpose"? 
See Matt. iv. 1-11. 

1. 96. goodly outside. What means do they accuse Shy lock 
of using to give " a goodly outside " to what they regard as his 
evil practice of usury ? 

1. 99. beholding. Beholden, under obligations. 

1. 104. sufferance. Bearing with patience. 

1. 111. void your rheum. Cast your spittle. 

1. 180. Who if he break. Describe what sudden change 
seems to have occurred in the mind of the writer after he 
started to write these two lines. To correct the grammatical 
structure, what word should you insert in place of Who ? 

1. 132. friends. What causes this sudden change in Shy- 
lock's attitude ? Has Antonio frightened him ? 

1. 136. kind. What is kind ? 

1. 137. were. Why not was ? 

1. 139. single. Some think this means that the name of 
Antonio was to be the only one affixed to the contract ; others, 
that this was a legal term, implying that the bond was to be one 
without any conditions of forfeiture, i.e. none more than the 
apparent jest about the pound of flesh. 

1. 143. equal. Exact. 

1. 148. not seal. Why does Bassanio take alarm here ? 



Scene 3.] NOTES 139 

Does Antonio feel no suspicion ? or, if he does, why does he 
not show it ? 

1. 155. suspect. What ellipsis before this word ? 

1. 164. for. Contrary to the opinion of most of the com- 
mentators, I cannot but think that this word may mean here 
in returjifor. Most of the generally accepted authorities read 
this as meaning for the sake of. In what way does Shylock 
accuse the Christians of " wronging him" ? 

1. 169. fearful. Untrustworthy. 

1. 170. knave. Used often in Shakespeare in its old mean- 
ing of boy, or "fellow." Cf. German Knabe. 

I. 170. presently. With the same meaning as in I., i., 183. 

II. 1-175. What indications are there in this scene of the 
commercial importance of Venice ? What of the wealth of 
Antonio ? How dare Shylock propose such a bond ? Is 
there any excuse for Antonio's treatment of Shylock ? In 
addition to the fact that a Jew is the principal character, is 
there another reason why so many references to the Bible should 
be made in this scene ? At what point does Shylock become 
most eloquent ? Is this eloquence attained chiefly by strong 
comparisons, by forcible words, or by an effective arrangement 
of the words in the sentence ? Can you find any lines where his 
feelings are expressed as much by the disagreeable combination 
of harsh consonants as by the signification of the words ? 

Review of Act I. What one important fact of the story has 
been learned from each scene of Act I. ? What purpose has 
been accomplished by the act as a whole ? Into how many 



140 NOTES [Act II. 

groups do you divide tlie personages of this act ? Who forms 
the connecting link between the different groups ? What is 
the strongest character contrast that has yet been presented ? 
What are the two strongest emotions that have been revealed 
by the characters of this act ? Keep in mind, for themes at 
the close, the development of Shylock's plot against Antonio : 
also the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, — whether 
or not it was equally strong on both sides. 

Act II. Scene I 

Morocco. From the words the Prince utters, from the way 
in which Portia addresses him. and from the "Flourish of 
cornets^' mentioned in the stage directions, we may assume in 
the appearance of both Morocco and his train a great deal of 
' ' barbaric splendor. ' ' 

1. 2. livery. Used often in Shakespeare in the sense of a 
servant's uniform worn to show what master he serves. Whose 
livery does Morocco wear, and of what color is it ? 

1. 5. Phoebus. Apollo, the god of the sun, or the sun itself. 
1. 7. reddest. Would this degree of comparison be right here 
to-day ? Red blood was regarded as a sign of courage. 

1. 8. aspect^. This is one of the words that in Shakespeare's 
time had the accent nearer the end than it is to-day. Notice 
where the same word occurs before in I., i., 54. 

1. 9. fear'd. Used in its original meaning of frightened. Is 
Morocco conceited, or only justly self-respecting ? 

1. 13. In terms of. With respect to. 



Scene l.J NOTES 141 

1. 14. nice. Critical. 

1.14. direction. Guidance. What words spoken by Morocco 
have led Portia to say what she does in the first two lines of this 
speech ? 

1. 16. Bars me the right. Equivalent to "bars my right." 
"Me" is the ethical dative, another Latin construction. A 
pronoun of the first or second person is often used in this con- 
struction to imply that the person speaking or addressed has 
some interest in the statement made, or to add a familiar, collo- 
quial tone to a sentence. {Century Diet.) 

1. 17. scanted. Limited. 

1. 19. who. What is its antecedent ? 

1. 20. fair. In view of the first few lines of Morocco's first 
speech, with what two meanings may Portia possibly use this 
word ? How much of a compliment is there in the last lines of 
this speech of Portia's ? Was the answer true, considering that 
she had seen Bassanio ? 

1. 25. Sophy. Emperor of Persia. 

1. 26. fields. What kind ? In whose service had Morocco 
fought ? 

1. 32. Hercules and Lichas. Hercules, also called Alcides, 
a hero of Greek fable, said to have possessed superhuman 
strength of muscle, and to have performed many wonderful 
feats. Lichas was his servant. 

1. 33. better. In what way ? 

1. 42. advised. Used with the same meaning as before in 
L, i., 142. 



142 NOTES [Act II. 

1. 43. What peculiar grammatical construction in this line 
that has occurred twice before in the play ? Find the two other 
instances. 

1. 44. temple. Some editors think this was originally writ- 
ten table ; others think it means the church. Give good reasons 
for both views, and in the second case show what Shakespeare 
has just been writing about that might lead him to give the Greek 
rather than the Christian word for a place of worship. 

1. 46. To make me. What ellipsis must be supplied before 
the beginning of this line ? 

I. 46. blest or cursed'st. What less condensed form of ex- 
pression would we use here to-day ? 

II. 1-46. Read toward the end of the notes the article on the 
Duration of the Action, and tell what reasons there are for the 
elapse of not much more than a week between this scene and 
the last. Why did Morocco wish to win Portia as his wife ? Do 
you think she was inwardly "mocking" him as she mocked the 
other suitors in her conversation with Nerissa? What is the 
most important fact that we have learned from this scene ? 

Scene II 

Launcelot. To which one of the three groups of characters 
presented in Act I. do we now return ? 

1. 1. serve. Assist. At present, however, which attitude is 
his conscience assuming in regard to his running away ? 

1. 10. Via. " A word of exhortation used by a boat's crew 
when increasing their stroke." 



Scene 2.] NOTES 143 

1.17. smack. Perhaps, smacA^mgr o/ evz7. 

1. 17. grow to. Similar in thought to smack. 

1. 23. God bless the mark. This phrase is a parenthetic 
apology for the use of the word devil. 

1. 25. saving your reverence. See 1. 23 above. 

1. 26. incarnal. A word coined by Launcelot. What word 
nearly like "incarnal" in sound does Launcelot think he is 
using ? 

1. 28. In what two meanings is conscience here used ? 

1. 31. run. At this point Launcelot runs off the stage at 
full speed and bumps into Old Gobbo, who enters leaning on 
his stick and carrying a basket beneath his arm. 

1. 32. Master. To see the paint in what follows, we must re- 
member that this title was given only to young men of some rank. 
1. 35. sand-blind. Half -blind. The word has no connection, 
probably, with sand^ except in the clownish imagination of 
Launcelot, but is a corrupted form of semi-blind. The other 
degree of blindness is named by a word of Launcelot' s own 
manufacture ; yet what similar phrase have we at present to 
denote a person that is totally blind ? 

1. 41. marry. Indeed. A corrupted form of Mary, mean- 
ing, originally, "by the Virgin Mary." 

1. 43. sonties. Saints (probably). 

1. 50. exceeding. Where in L, i., have we had this word 
used in the same sense as it is here ? 

1. 51. well to live. Well to do, or, perhaps, "With every 
prospect of a long life." (Variorum.) 



144 NOTES [Act II. 

1. 52. a'. Used among uneducated persons for he. 

1. 55. ergo. Latin for therefore. Because of what words 
just spoken by Gobbo can Launcelot, with perfectly good logic, 
say here, " Ergo, Master Launcelot " ? 

1. 57. an't. What is always the meaning of an in the plays 
of Shakespeare ? 

1. 59. father. Used often merely as a term of respect. 

1. 61. Sisters Three. The three Fates of Greek mythology. 
These maidens sat spinning the webs of men's lives, and when 
they decided that any man must die, one of them cut the thread 
of his existence, and so ended his life. 

1. QQ. hovel-post. Post supporting a hovel, or shed. 

1. 90. Lord worshipped might he be ! Some editors think 
this means that Launcelot appears to have so much of a beard 
that he deserves to be treated with the honor paid to a lord. 
More probably the phrase means, "The Lord be praised." On 
the stage at this point Launcelot is usually beheld kneeling 
with the back of his head toward his father. 

1. 101. set up my rest. Made up my mind. 

1. 102. some ground. How much would this mean in 
Venice ? 

1. 105. ribs. Here Launcelot is seen to take old Gobbo's 
forefinger with one hand, and having spread his own fingers 
of the other hand out over his own side, he tries to make his 
father think that the outspread fingers are the protruding ribs 
of an abused servant. 

1.117. Gramercy. The same as the old French "Grand 



Scene 2.] NOTES 145 

merci," or "many thanks." For what does Bassanio thank 
Gobbo ? 

1. 121. infection. One of the many blunders that Launcelot 
makes in his attempt to use big words. It is evident wliat word 
he means. 

1. 127. cater-cousins. Equivalent here to very slight friends. 
See Murray's Oxford Dictionary. 

1. 130. frutify. Another blunder. Meant, perhaps, for 
fructify ; '■'■i.e. bear fruit, in the sense of saying something 
definite after all this leafy verbiage," (E. H. Lewis.) 

1. 138. One speak for both. Dr. Eurness recalls here also 
the apparent stage-tradition that makes Launcelot not only 
constantly interrupt his father, but also turn him swiftly round, 
and after the delivery of his own speech to Bassanio, turn hiui 
as swiftly back again, until the amazed Bassanio says, "One 
speak for both." 

1, 140. defect. What word did Launcelot mean to use ? 

1. 143. preferred. Recommended. To prefer also meant to 
promote, and in this sense Bassanio uses it in preferment. 

1. 146. old proverb. Probably an old Scotch proverb is here 
referred to : " The grace of God is gear [i.e. possessions] 
enough." Which master has enough -in this division of the 
proverb, and which has the grace of God ? 

1. 152. guarded. Trimmed, ornamented. 

1. 155. table. The palm of the hand. 

1. 156. which doth offer to swear upon a book. Many expla- 
nations and emendations have been suggested for this difficult 



146 NOTES [Act II. 

passage. Professor Gummere's is the simplest and clearest. He 
merely substitutes as for a, and reads thus : " Which doth offer 
{i.e. itself) to swear upon (i= for swearing upon) as book (i.e. 
so veracious that one could use it as Bible, etc.)." Launcelot 
wonders if any other man have such a palm. Then, as Pro- 
fessor Gummere adds, / shall have good fortune would be a 
sentence by itself. 

1. 157. simple. Used ironically ; i.e. with just the opposite 
from its apparent meaning. 

1. 168. trifle of wives. Halliwell quotes from Saunder's 
book on palmistry : " Long and deep lines from the Mount 
of Venus [the ball of the thumb] towards the line of life, 
signifieth so many wives." 

1. 161. edge of a feather-bed. "A cant phrase to signify 
danger of marrying." (Warburton.) 

1. 163. wench. Woman. What phrase in this line occurred 
before in one of Antonio's speeches in I., i. ? 

1. 179. parts. Where in I., ii., did the word occur in the 
same sense as here ? 

1. 182. liberal. Dr. Furness suggests "free and easy." 

1. 183. modesty. Moderation. 

1. 185. misc6nstrued. Note the accent, the proper one to- 
day, as it was in Shakespeare's time. 

1. 187. habit. Behavior. 

1. 190. hood my eyes, etc. Implying that at that time men 
wore their hats at meals. 

1. 193. sad ostent. Grave appearance. 



Scene 3.] NOTES 147 

I. 199. suit. To what word used by Gratiano a minute 
before may Bassanio be playfully referring ? 

II. 1-203, What indication has Launcelot given us of the fact 
that Bassanio has already made rather extensive preparations 
for his "secret pilgrimage" to Belmont?' In what line has 
Bassanio spoken words that would lead us to think that some 
little time had already elapsed since the close of Act I, ? What 
are the qualities of Launcelot' s humor ? By what devices of 
language does he display this humor ? In what respects do 
Launcelot and Gratiano resemble each other ? In what respects 
do they differ ? What fact important to the story has been 
learned from this scene ? How has the scene served to make 
us feel that some time has elapsed ? What has been gained 
for the effect of the play by introducing such a character as 
Launcelot ? What is the brightest thing that Launcelot says ? 
Why is old Gobbo introduced ? (Give references to lines.) 

Scene III 

Shylock's house. Would Shylock's house be richly furnished ? 

Jessica would be dressed as quaintly as Portia. Would she 
be as richly dressed ? 

1. 10. exhibit. If Launcelot has the right word this time, 
what does this line mean ? What does it mean if exhibit be a 
blunder for inhibit f 

1. 12. something. Used in the same meaning as in I., i,, 124. 

1. 18. manners. Ideals, and ways of life ; with a broader 
meaning than it has to-day. 



148 NOTES [Act II. 

11. 1-20. From this scene, what important fact has been 
learned that aids the development of the plot ? Upon whose 
character especially does the scene shed light ? In what ways 
in this scene does Jessica show herself distinctly not " a daugh- 
ter to her father's manners " ? Does she in any way show her- 
self ' ' a daughter to his blood " ? Is Launcelot sincere in his 
feeling for Jessica ? 

Scene IV 

1.1. in. What is meant — "at," "during," or "in the 
course of " ? 

1.6. spoke us. This may be equivalent to bespoke us; or 
us may be the mistake of an early printer for as. What 
grammatical peculiarity still remains in the- expression ? 

1. 6. vile. Low, common. What is ? 

1. 6. quaintly. Prettily. 

1. 8. two hours. Bassanio ordered supper to be ready at 
what time ? How do you reconcile the two passages ? 

1. 10. break up, i.e. the seal. 

1. 15. By your leave. What is Launcelot about to do ? 

1. 26. Gratiano's lodging. Is this the place first appointed 
as their rendezvous ? Has the purpose of the masque changed ? 
What may possibly have been the only reason for it originally ? 

1. 34. If there is a pun in this line, what is it ? 

1. 37. faithless. According to what standard, and in what 
sense ? 



Scene 4.] NOTES 149 

11. 1-39, In what two love affairs is Gratiano getting mixed 
up ? In which case does the lover put the greater confidence 
in him ? Does Lorenzo seem sincerely in love with Jessica ? 
What point has been gained from this scene in the further 
development of the plot ? 

Review the substance of the last four scenes in a brief 
statement. 

Scene V 

11. 1-6. Does Shylock address all of these six lines to the 
same person ? 

I. 11. bid forth. About what time of the day was it, proba- 
bly, that the invitation came ? When previously had Shylock 
had an invitation to dine with Bassanio ? What was his answer 
then ? What has caused the change in his attitude ? 

II. 20, 21. What is Launcelot's blunder ? What bearing has 
Shylock's rejoinder on the question of his plot against Antonio ? 

1. 23. masque. Why, if Launcelot does not wish to let the 
secret out, does he mention a masque 9 

1. 25. Black-Monday. Easter Monday. In 1360 Edward 
III. of England and his army lay encamped before Paris. It 
was a stormy day, and " so bitter cold that many men died on 
their horses backs with the cold. Wherefore unto this day it 
hath beene called the Blacke monday.'''' (Stowe.) Out of the 
rest of Launcelot's speech, we have no difficulty in getting as 
much sense as he himself got. What remark of Shylock's is 
■fc. Launcelot perhaps mocking in this nonsense about a nose- 
^K bleed ? What other reason may he have for talking nonsense ? 

L 



150 NOTES [Act II. 

1. 30. wry-neck'd. Having a crooked and distorted neck, 

1. 38. sirrah. To people of what rank is this word usually- 
addressed ? (See I., ii.) 

1. 43. Jewess'. Commentators think that as this was origi- 
nally written (perhaps Jewes)^ it was the possessive of Jew. 
At any rate, the latter word was formerly used both of men 
and of women. What proof of this fact in II., iii. ? 

1. 43. eye. Knight says : ' ' That worth was the price the 
persecuted Jews paid for immunity from mutilation and death. 
When our rapacious King John extorted an enormous sum 
from the Jew of Bristol by drawing his teeth, the threat of 
putting out an eye would have the like effect upon other Jews." 

1. 44. Hagar. See Gen. xxi. 9-21. Hagar and Sarah 
were the two wives of Abraham. Hagar was a bondswoman, 
and, because of the jealousy of Sarah, Abraham cast out from 
his home Hagar and her child Ishmael, and sent them to wan- 
der in the desert. Ishmael is considered by the Mohammedans 
as their ancestor, Shylock regards Launcelot as the offspring 
of Hagar, in view of the fact that Launcelot is a servant, as 
Hagar was. 

1. 46. patch. So named from the motley garb that a fool 
usually wore. 

I. 56. crost, thwarted. 

II. 1-57. What feelings has Shylock shown toward .Jessica in 
this scene ? What other feelings than those exhibited in II., iii. 
has Jessica shown toward her father ? Is she justified in leav- 
ing him ? What is the difference between the protection that 
Portia's father has secured for her and that which Shylock de- 



ScEKH 6.] NOTES 151 

vises for Jessica ? Which needed protection the more ? What 
does this scene give as a reason for II., ii., 142 ? What is the 
most important point of the story learned from this scene ? 
For themes later, keep especially in mind the character of 
Shylock as a father • also the characters of Portia and Jessica 
as daughters. 

Scene VI 

1. 1. pent-house. A shed hanging out from a main building. 

1. 2. hour. Is this the hour that was to elapse before they 
met at Gratiano's lodging, the hour that they were to spend 
away from the banquet-table preparing the masque, or is it 
the appointed time that Lorenzo had set to be with them at 
this place ? 

1. 5. pigeons. Doves were said to draw the chariot of 
Yenus, the goddess of love ; it is she that seals love''s bonds. 

1. 7. obliged. Notice in how many syllables this word is 
pronounced here. It means hound by contract. 

1. 13. chased. Notice the number of syllables. 

1. 14. younker. Youngster. 

1. 15. scarfed. Decorated with flags. 

1. 30. What grammatical construction in this line unusual 
to-day ? 

1. 37. themselves commit. Themselves is not now used alone 
in the nominative except by poetic license. What other pro- 
noun usually stands with it in this case ? 

1. 42. What pun in this line ? 



I 



152 NOTES [Act II. 

1. 43. office of discovery. "Holding a torcli is the ofl&ce by 
which a path is discovered." (E. H. Lewis.) 
1. 44. should; i.e. ought to be. 
1. 47. close. Secret. 
1. 50. mo. Has this occurred before ? 
1. 51. hood; i.e. of the masking costume. 

1. 52. Beshrew me. Curse me. Here, however, the phrase 
has come to be, like marry., simply an expletive. 

1. 57. in my constant soul. What does Lorenzo mean ? Is 
he right in his estimation of Jessica ? Which attribute that he 
assigns to her might we question ? Note that placed is dissyllabic. 

I. QQ. twenty. Had the feast broken up ? If so, why was 
not Shylock home by this time ? Was he really as suspicious 
of Jessica as he seemed ? 

II. 1-68. Did Antonio know of the plans for Jessica's elope- 
ment ? What device has Shakespeare used in this scene to dis- 
pose of a considerable amount of time ? Any extravagances of 
speech in the scene? What is the principal fact, or subject, as 
we may call it, of this scene ? 

Write an outline, stating briefly, and in order, the subjects of 
the first six scenes of Act II. 

Scene VII 
1. 1. discover. Show. 

1. 5. who. In Shakespeare's time ivMcTi was not yet required 
in referring to inanimate things. In the next line, however, 
we read ivhich. 



Scene 7.] NOTES 153 

1. 8. as blunt. As what ? 

1. 12, withal. With it. Often used in this sense, although 
sometimes simply in the sense of " with." 

1. 22. virgin hue. Why is the silver described as possessing 
a ' ' virgin hue ' ' ? 

1. 25. even. Impartial, or steady. 

1. 26. rated. Is this word used here with the same meaning 
as it is in I., iii. ? 

1. 26. estimation. This word could mean either worth or 
reputation. Which meaning is the better here ? 

1. 27. enough. Pretty well. 

1. 35. To line 35, is the feeling that Morocco expresses con- 
ceit, or only honest self-respect ? 

1. 40. shrine. Here used in the sense of the image of a 
saint. 

1. 40. mortal-breathing. Describing Portia as a saint still 
breathing the air of earth, not that of heaven, as do the saints 
that the Church has canonized. 

1. 41. Hyrcanian deserts. Deserts around the Caspian Sea. 

1. 43. What ellipsis in this line ? 

1. 44. ambitious. In what condition is the sea represented 
as being when it deserves this epithet ? 

1. 46. spirits. People. 

1. 49. damnation. To whom ? 

1. 51. rib. Enclose. 



154 NOTES [J^ II. 

1. 51. cerecloth. Waxed linen, serving as a shroud for the 
dead. Note that cere is one syllable, even in cerement, a 
synonym for cerecloth. 

1. 51. 6bscure. Note the accent, and contrast it with that of 
aspect in I. 

1. 53. ten times. The ratio of gold to silver at this time in 
England was ten to one. 

1. 57. Note that upon is strongly contrasted with within, in 
line 59. 

1. 60. Is there (up to line 60) any conceit expressed. in 
Morocco's arguing ? Any proof of his love for Portia ? Any 
compliment paid to her ? Which of his comparisons are beauti- 
ful ? Which extravagant ? 

1. 63. Death. Death's-head ; skull. Did Portia know what 
was in this casket ? Did Nerissa ? Read over I., ii., carefully, 
to see. 

1. 68. my outside. Does my refer to the casket, or to the 
skull ? 

I. 72. Your. Johnson thinks the word intended here was 
this. 

II. 1-79. Is insincerity of character betrayed by Morocco 
anywhere in this scene ? What was the mistake he made, or, 
in other words, in what one way did he not "rightly love" ? 
Of what does he think the more, the meaning of the metals, or 
of that of the inscriptions ? What do you think of Portia's 
bearing toward him ? What of her real feelings ? Keep in 
mind especially the character of Morocco, in order that after 



ScENBbS.] NOTES 155 

the close of III., ii., you may be able to write a theme about the 
three suitors and their comparative merits as revealed in the 
choice of the caskets, and a theme, also, about the wisdom shown 
by Portia's father in his will. What is the one most important 
step taken in this scene toward the development of the plot ? 
What are the metrical peculiarities of the lyric written on the 
scroll ? 

Scene VIII 

1. 10. certified the Duke. Made the Duke certain. Certify 
is not now used in this way of persons. 

I. 14. What epithet used here of Shylock has been used 
before of him, and where ? 

II. 25, 26. Why should Salanio make this remark ? 
1. 27. reason'd. Talked. 

1. 30. fraught. The old past participle of freighted. 

1. 39. Slubber. Do carelessly. 

1. 40. Does stay here mean check or await ? 

1. 42. love. Love for whom is meant here ? 

1. 44. To. What different preposition would we use here ? 

1. 44. ostents. The same meaning as in II., ii., 193. 

1. 45. conveniently. Properly. 

1. 48. sensible. Sensitive, or rather, keenly alive, truly felt. 

1. 50. only. If only were in the place in this line that the 
order of modern prose would demand, how would the metre be 

affected ? 



156 NOTES [Act II. 

11. 1-53. What new light do we get from this scene on the 
cause or nature of Antonio's melancholy ? Did Salarino mean 
what he said in I., i., 47, 48 ? What do you judge of Shylock's 
importance at Venice ? What of his reputation as a creditor ? 
How soon did he probably learn of his daughter's flight ? How 
much time has elapsed between this scene and the last two ? 
What is the most important point of this scene ? 

Scene IX 

1. 1. straight. What longer form of this word would we 
use here to-day ? 

1. 3. his election. What different meaning would these 
words have to-day ? 

I. 3. presently. Remember the Shakespearian meaning of 
this word. 

II. 4-8. Does Portia address Arragon differently from the 
way in which she addressed Morocco before his choice ? 

1. 13. marriage. How many syllables here ? 

1. 16. Is there any difference in the manner in which the 
two princes proceed to the "election " ? 

1. 19. address'd. Prepared. 

1. 22. You. What does he mean ? 

1. 27. fond. Foolish. 

1. 29. in the weather. Exposed to the storm. 

1. 32. jump with. Agree with, associate with. 



Scene 9.] NOTES 157 

1. 32. spirits. Where used before in II., vii., with the same 
meaning as here ? 

1. 33. barbarous multitudes. Do these words of Arragon 
express conceit, or only independence ? 

1. 38. cozen. Cheat. Wliat does Arragon think tliat a man 
ought to possess if he would honestly win any good fortune or, 
honor ? 

1. 41. estates, degrees. Rank. 

1. 42. clear. Bright or pure. Latin clarus, bright. 

]. 44. cover. Put on the hat. 

1. 46. glean'd. Picked out. 

1. 52. What ellipsis of several words in this line ? Does 
Arragon think more of the meaning of the metals, or of that 
of the inscriptions ? Of whom is he thinking all the time that 
he is talking ? Why does he wish to win Portia ? What is 
the line of his argument ? Does either Arragon or Morocco 
need Portia's money ? Wherein did Arragon make his mistake 
— in his estimate of Portia or of himself ? Compare him with 
Morocco in this respect. 

1. 53. Of what importance is it to us to know that these 
words were spoken aside ? 

1. 61. offend and judge. Portia probably intends to imply 
that, by the terms of her father's will, she has unintentionally 
been the means of offending Arragon, and that he must not ask 
her to be a judge of his deserts ; his fate was the result of no 
judgment of hers. 

1. 61. distinct. Note the accent. 



158 NOTES [Act II. 

1. 63. tried. A dissyllable here. 

1. 68. I wis. Surely. 

1. 70, what wife you will. Has Shakespeare forgotten the 
oath that Arragon took, or does Portia's father intend hy this 
to release the prince from his oath ? 

1. 71. head. "The head of the woman is the man." 
(1 Cor. xi. 3.) 

1. 78. bear my wroth. Which bore his disappointment the 
better, Morocco or Arragon ? Does this indicate anything of 
the degree of their love for Portia ? 

1. 80. deliberate. Was it not well to have been deliberate ? 
Why did Arragon's deliberations not help him any ? 

1. 81. wit. Judgment. 

1. 84. draw. Where before in this scene has draw been 
differently used ? 

1. 85. my lord. In what mood does Portia seem to be ? 

1. 89. sensible. Substantial ; that can be felt or touched. 

1. 89. regreets. Greetings. 

1. 90. commends. Compliments. 

1. 91. Yet. As yet. 

1. 92. likely. Good-looking. 

1. 98. high-day. Holiday, high flown. 

1. 98. wit. Imagination or skill. 

I. 101. To whom is this line addressed ? What other scene 
ended in a manner very similar to this ? 

II. 1-101. What is the most important point of the story that 



Scene 9.] NOTES 159 

has been learned from this scene ? Compare the sadness m 
which we first found Antonio with that wliich at first seemed to 
oppress Portia, and compare the directions that the two feelings 
are taking. Discuss the metre of the second lyric. 

Review of Acts I. , II. Review the play from the beginning 
by giving in order from memory the main point of each scene, 
and then again by giving the main purpose of each of the two 
acts that have been thus far read. Which of the scenes in 
the first two acts would be most effective on the modern stage ? 
Which would have been most so on the Shakespearian stage ? 
About what character have you learned the most in Act II.? 
What person in the drama is fast approaching success ? 

Act III. Scene I 

1. 2. unchecked. Uncontradicted. 

1.4. narrow seas. Where? SeeII.,viii. What advantage 
is gained by Shakespeare in causing the ships to be wrecked at 
such a distant place ? 

1. 10. knapped ginger. Gnawed ginger-root. 

1. 21. cross. See II., v., 56. 

1. 21. my prayer. How was this the prayer of Salanio ? 

1. 28. tailor. Who is meant by this ? 

1. 30. complexion. Nature. 

1. 33. devil. Where at least three times before in this play 
has Shylock been referred to as the devil ? 

1. 35. flesh and blood. How in the next line does Salanio 
turn the sense in which these words were intended ? 



160 NOTES [Act III. 

1.42. rhenish. Rhine wines are "white" wines, that is 
colorless, or pale amber. Does Salarino have more than one 
purpose in asking the question that follows ? 

1. 44. match. Bargain. 

1. 45. prodigal. Why does Shylock use this word of 
Antonio ? Has he applied it to him before this ? If so, 
where ? 

11. 44-50. What indication in this speech of the lapse of time ? 

1. 52. good for. Where in Act I. had Shylock himself asked 
virtually this same question ? 

1.54. disgraced. "Lowered in estimation." (Furness.) 

1. 69. humility. This may be used in its usual sense, as the 
Christians boasted of their humility. It may, however, mean 
"kindness," or "humanity." 

I. 72. go hard. Why ? because such revenge is contrary to 
the tendency of Shylock's nature, or because of the difficulty of 
any one's surpassing such cruelty as the Gentiles show ? 

II. 53-73. " To those who, like the present editors, can remem- 
ber Edmund Kean's delivery of this superb speech of wild wrath 
pleading its claim to some show of justice, there is excitement 
in recalling the wonderful eyes flashing out their red sparkles, 
the body writhing from head to foot, the arm thrown upward 
as witness to the recorded oath of vengeance. The attitude, as 
the voice, rose to a sublime climax when these words were 
uttered ; then there was a drop, both of person and tone, as he 
hissed out the closing sentence of deep concentrated malignity." 
(Cowden-Clarke.) 



Scene 1.] NOTES 161 

1. 85. curse. It may be only that Shy lock refers to the 
general curse of suffering and exile that has pursued the Jews 
through so many countries, and for so many centuries. Mr. 
H. L. "Withers (The Arden Shakespeare) suggests that the 
following, one of the many curses threatened against the Jews 
if they did not keep the law, is here especially in Shy lock's 
mind. " Thy daughters shall be given unto another people, 
and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the 
day long. All thy labours shall a nation which thou knowest 
not eat up ; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed 
alway." Deut. xxviii. 32, 33. 

1. 89. hearsed. Enclosed ; i.e. in a coffin. 

1. 101. I thank God. Booth, as Shylock, here clapped his 
hands high in the air. 

1. 107. Your daughter, etc. Booth : " Nod several times 
affirmatively before replying, and speak the line slowly, with 
the least shade of wickedness in your look. Shylock's expres- 
sion gradually changes from joy to agony while this line is 
spoken, therefore speak it slowly." 

1. 110. sitting. What does this indicate of the manner in 
which the money was spent ? 

1. 112. creditors. How does the fact of Antonio's being in 
debt and other facts learned from this scene agree with Antonio's 
own assertions in I. , i. ? 

1. 125. bespeak. Engage. 

1. 128. synagogue. What irony does Shakespeare show in 
making Shylock choose this as their meeting-place ? 



I 



162 NOTES • [Act III. 

11. 1-129. Judging from this scene, what do you think is the 
age of Shylock ? Has he travelled during his lifetime ? What 
is the bitterest thing that Shylock says in this scene ? Does he 
show any love for his daughter ? Any tenderness toward any 
one else ? Trace the report of Antonio's losses from the first 
hint anywhere in the play of the disaster, up to the time when 
the report becomes confirmed. Why does Tubal tell his story 
in the way that he does ? Why is this an especially unfortu- 
nate time for the report to reach the ears of Shylock ? What 
purpose do we now feel that Shylock has against Antonio ? 
In the beginning of this scene what makes us feel that only a 
short time has elapsed since the end of Act II. ? Later in the 
scene what lines show definitely just how much time has elapsed 
since the end of Act I. ? What is the one most important 
point of the story learned from this scene ? 

Scene II 

1. 2. choosing wrong. That is, your choosing wrong. How 
is the construction unrhetorical ? 

1. 4. it is not love. Is this quite true ? 

1. 6. quality. Manner. 

1. 7. understand me. What difference would it make 
whether or not Bassanio understood Portia, so long as the 
winning of her hand depended solely on the choice of the right 
casket ? 

1. 9. month. When she first spoke, how long did she wish 
he might tarry ? 



Scene 2.] NOTES 163 

1. 11. am then forsworn. Present tense for the future. 
1.14. Beshrew. See II., vL, 52. Remember that the word 
is used here in a very gentle — nay, even tender — way. 
1. 15. o'erlook'd. Bewitched, cast a spell upon. 

1. 20. Prove it so. If it prove so. Explain fully what she 
means by this. 

1. 21. fortune go to hell. What crime would fortune have 
committed ? 

1.22. peize. (Pronounced pi^.) Retard. How long, prob- 
ably, had Bassanio been at Belmont ? 

1. 27. treason. Referring to the practice of torturing a con- 
fession out of traitors on the rack. Is Portia in earnest, or in 
sport ? 

1. 28. What disturbs Bassanio's peace of mind in the same 
way that treason disturbs the peace of a state ? 

1. 30. life. Living together, harmony. 

1. 36. sum of my confession. All I have to confess. 

1. 44. swan-like end. Alluding to the old belief that the 
swan never sang until just at death, when it breathed out its 
life in one beautiful strain of music. 

1. 47. watery death-bed. Is not this a coiiceit, that is, a far- 
fetched, fanciful comparison ? What other lover in the play is 
made to speak in this same extravagant manner, and where ? 

1. 52. bridegroom's ear. "An allusion to the custom of 
playing music under the windows of the bridegroom's bedroom 
on the morning of his marriage." (Halliwell.) 



164 NOTES [Act III. 

I. 54. presence. Dignity. 

II. 55-60. Alcides. Neptune, enraged with Laomedon, king 
of Troy, sent a sea-monster to ravage the king's country. To 
propitiate Neptune, Laomedon was obliged to offer him his 
daughter, Hesione. When the maiden had been chained to a 
rock on the coast, Hercules (Alcides), bribed by the promise of 
some famous horses owned by the king, rescued his daughter 
from the beast. 

1. 56. howling. Crying in anguish. 

1. 59. bleared. Tear-stained. 

1. 63. fancy. Taking a fancy to, falling lightly in love. 
According to the song, " How old does such love live to be ? " 
Is there any hint in this song of the right casket ? Did Bas- 
sanio take the hint ? Would Arragon or Morocco have under- 
stood it ? Who might have caused it to be sung ? What two 
people knew which was the right casket ? 

1. 73. least themselves. Not at all like the reality within. 

1. 74. still. What does this word usually mean in Shake- 
speare ? 

1. 77. Obscures. Ellipsis of the subject. 

1. 85. Hercules . . . Mars. These two, one a hero, or demi- 
god, and one a god, possessed what two qualities that were 
opposed to weakness and cowardice ? 

1. 86. white. Where in the play has the color symbolic of 
courage been mentioned ? 

1. 87. excrement. Excrescence ; that is, beards. 



Scene 2.] NOTES 165 

1. 94. supposed fairness. The heads of maidens made to 
appear beautiful only by the aid of powder, paint, etc. 

1. 97. guiled. Deceitful. Explain the comparison in this 
line and the next. 

1. 99. Indian beauty. Does this indicate here a beautiful or 
a repulsive appearance ? 

1. 102. Midas. The king who asked as a favor from the gods 
that everything he touched might turn to gold. When his food 
turned into gold, and his own little daughter, he repented, and 
the troublesome gift was mercifully taken back. 

1. 103. pale. Why is this epithet especially good here ? 

I. 103. Explain drudge. 

II. 73-107. Is there any line in this speech of Bassanio's that 
shows he despises money and is seeking Portia for love, not 
for her fortune ? Read over the argument of Arragon, and see 
how he, as well as Bassanio, despised " outward shows." What 
is the difference between the attitude of the two on this point ? 
Did Bassanio use in his choice more or less reasoning than the 
other two suitors ? Did he think at all of his own merits ? Did 
he choose rashly ? Would he have chosen the leaden casket, if 
he had been thinking chiefly of Portia's wealth? 

1. 109. As. Such as. 

1. 115. demi-god. To whom does he refer ? 

1. 118. What word should be emphasized in this line ? 

1. 120. sweet friends. Who are they ? 

1. 126. unfurnish'd. With what ? 

1. 126. how far. As far as. 



166 NOTES [Act III. 

1. 129. substance. What does he mean ? 

I. 130. continent. That which contains. Note the extrava- 
gance of the language ; enumerate the various conceits between 
the hnes 109 and 131. 

II. 139, 140. At what point in these two lines does Portia 
' ' ratify the note ' '" ? 

11. 156, 158. account. In what two somewhat different 
senses is the word used in these two lines ? 

1. 159. in gross. In full. Where in I., iii., was gross used 
in a similar sense ? 

1. 170. even now. Just now. 

1. 174. presage. Where near the end of I., i., did this word 
occur ? 

1. 175. vantage. Opportunity. 

1. 177. blood. How would the truth of this remark be 
apparent to the eyes of Portia ? 

1. 179. In this line what grammatical peculiarity that has 
before occurred ? 

1. 192. from me. Away from me. 

1. 200. for intermission. For a pastime. 

1. 201. pertains. Is due. No more what ? 

1. 203. falls. Happens. Used again, as in I., ii., 86, in the 
sense of what longer form of the same word to-day ? 

1. 209. Trace from the beginning of the play to find anything 
that, now that the love of Nerissa and Gratiano has become an 



Scene 2.] NOTES 167 

open secret, might possibly be interpreted as a hint of the feel- 
ing between the two. 

1. 214. Lorenzo. Had the run-away couple come directly 
from Venice to Belmont ? 

1. 215. Salerio. Some editions do not introduce a new 
character here, but make this to read Salajiio. 

1. 219. very friends. Friends in the truest sense of the 
word. 

1. 228. commends. Whom did Antonio commend to Bas- 
sanio ? Why ? 

1. 232. estate. Condition. 

1. 233. cheer. Why does Portia apparently pay so little 
attention to Jessica ? 

1. 235. royal. Noble, generous, dignified. Johnson says : 
" This epithet was, in our poet's time, more striking and better 
understood, because Gresham [a famous London merchant] 
was then commonly dignified with the title of the royal 
merchant.'''' 

1. 239. shrewd. "Keen, in the sense of piercing, painful." 
(E. H. Lewis.) 

1. 242. constitution. State of mind. 

1. 243. constant. Well-balanced. 

1. 244. half. If you have read Julius Ccesar, do you re- 
call a similar expression used by the Portia of that play to 
her husband Brutus ? 

1. 258. mere enemy. Unqualified, absolute enemy. 



168 NOTES [Act III. 

1. 274. impeach the freedom of the state. From what is 
said later in Act IV., it seems as if Shakespeare forgot that 
Venice was a free city, and thought of her as an English city- 
possessing a charter from the state of which she was a part. 
This charter, which granted certain rights and a considerable 
amomit of independence, could be taken away from a city if she 
did not fulfil the conditions under which the charter had been 
granted — if, for instance, she did not show justice to foreign 
merchants. 

I. 276. magnificoes. Nobles. 

II. 280-286. In these words of Jessica's, is any light thrown 
upon the question as to when and how the plot against Antonio 
grew in the mind of Shylock ? 

1. 289. best-condition' d and unwearied. Where in II., i., 
did we have a similar example of this condensed manner of 
expressing the superlative of two adjectives connected by and ? 
What word must be supplied here to-day to make the meaning 
fully clear ? Where in I., ii., was condition used with the same 
meaning as here ? Where, a few lines above, did we have a 
proof of these qualities in Antonio's character ? 

1. 291. ancient Roman honour. Recall from Julius CcEsar 
the words of the Koman Brutus : — 

' ' Set honour i' the one eye and death i' the other, 
And I will look on death indifferently." 

1. 308. cheer. Countenance. 

1. 315. you and I. Not right according to grammatical 



Scenes.] NOTES 169 

canons, but regarded as idiomatically correct in Elizabethan 
English. 

11. 1-323. Does Portia in this scene show herself more of 
a girl or of a woman ? Has Bassanio been thoughtless and for- 
getful of Antonio and his bond ? If so, is the forgetfulness to 
be laid to him as a fault ? What is the most important thing 
that has happened in this scene ? What two great passions 
clash ? and at just what point ? Consider the metre of the 
two lyrics. Find all the instances of rhymed lines in this scene, 
in each instance suggest a reason for the use of rhyme. 

Scene III 

1. 1. Gaoler. Why has Antonio been allowed to walk forth 
with his gaoler (pronounced jailer) ? 

1. 3. yet. At least. 

1. 6. dog. Where at least twice before in the play have we 
heard this epithet given to Shylock ? 

1. 9. naughty. Worthless, good for naught. Naughty had 
in Shakespeare's time a stronger meaning than it has to-day. 

1. 9. fond. See II., ix., 27. 

1.18. impenetrable. Not to be moved, relentless. 

1. 19. kept. Lived. 

1. 22. delivered. Released. 

1. 27. commodity. Convenience (of trade, etc.). How 
differently used in I., i., 178 ? 

1. 28. it. Does this refer to commodity^ or to course of law ? 



170 NOTES [Act III. 

1.31. Consisteth of all nations; i.e. "stands, is held 
together, by the fact that all nations trade here." (E. H. 
Lewis. ) 

I. 32. bated. Weakened. How ? 

II. 1-36. Why should Antonio wish Bassanio to come and see 
him pay his debt ? If Shylock had let Antonio speak, what 
would the latter have said to him ? Is any light shed from this 
scene upon the cause of Antonio's sadness ? What is the chief 
purpose of the scene ? 

Scene IV 

1. 2. conceit. Conception. Similar to the sense in which it 
occurs where in I., i., in one of Gratiano's speeches ? 

1. 3. amity. Friendship. 

1. 6. What preposition is understood in this line ? 

1. 7. lover. Used often in Shakespeare in the sense of friend. 

1. 9. customary bounty. Such deeds of kindness as she is 
in the habit of doing. How does Lorenzo think that this act 
differs from Portia's usual acts of charity. 

1. 10. for. What preposition would be used here to-day ? 

1. 11. What grammatical peculiarity in this line ? Eind 
another instance of the same in this play. 
1. 12. waste. Spend. 
1. 14. proportion. Style. 
1. 15. manners. See the note on II., iii., 18. 
1. 15. spirit. Disposition. Find a different meaning in which 



Scene 4.] NOTES 171 

this word has already been used in the play. You will find 
still other meanings later on, 

1. 20. semblance of my soul. Semblance refers to Antonio ; 
my soul refers to Bassanio. 

1. 22. praising of myself. Is Portia just to herself ? 

1. 33. imposition. Where in I., ii., did Nerissa use the word 
in the same sense as it is used here ? 

1. 36. fair. Does Lorenzo mean just f 

1. 52. imagined. Imaginable. The past participle in -ed is 
often used in Shakespeare for the adjective in -able. 

1. 53. tranect. Common ferry. 

1. 56. convenient. Was conveniently used with a similar 
meaning in II. , viii. , 45 ? 

1. 69. quaint. Skilful. Where was quaintly used with a 
similar meaning in II., iv. ? 

1.72. I could not do withal. "I could not help il." 
(Halliwell.) 

I. 83. twenty miles. Did Portia, then, tell a falsehood in 
lines 31, 32, above ? 

II. 1-83. Does Portia in this scene seem "unpractised " ? Is 
she here more of a girl or more of a woman ? Do you think 
that Portia's plans for going to Venice originated with herself 
or with Bellario ? Would a girl in her position often have had 
occasion to consult a lawyer before ? Compare the manner in 
which Portia and Jessica regard their disguise as boys. What 



172 NOTES [Act III. 

is the principal reason why Lorenzo and Jessica are left in full 
command at Belmont ? What is the principal point of the 
story learned from this scene ? 

Scene V 
1. 3. fear you. Tear for you. 

1. 5. agitation. Launcelot uses this word for cogitation. 
1. 7. bastard. False. 

I. 11. got. Begot. 

II. 16, 17. Scylla . . . Charybdis. Two rocks between Italy 
and Sicily. In the hollow of the one nearest to Italy was said 
to dwell a fearful monster resembling a woman, with dogs 
barking around her waist. On the other side was another 
monster, that, according to Homer, three times a day swallowed 
down the water of the ocean, and again three times threw it up 
in mighty spouts. 

1. 37. discourse grow commendable. This is just the 
opposite in meaning, but similar in sound, to the saying of 
another man who tired Lorenzo out with his talk. Who was 
the man, and what was the saying ? (See I., i.) 

1. 43. cover. Used in the sense of spreading the cloth on a 
table for dinner. 

1. 45. Will you cover means, Will you put on your hat 9 

1. 47. quarrelling with occasion. At odds with the matter 
in question — not talking to the point. In the opinion of 
Lorenzo, what was the "occasion"? 



Scene 5.] NOTES 173 

1. 54. humours. Whims. 

1. 54. conceits. With what meaning has the word already 
occurred twice before in the play? 

1. 56. suited. Dressed up ; or, perhaps, suited to the mean- 
ing. Lorenzo may be laughing because Launcelot's words are 
so fine sounding, or because suddenly (11. 52-55) Launcelot 
suits his words to his thought with such unusual, painstaking 
precision. 

1. 61. Defy. Sacrifice ; i.e. as if the fine-sounding word and 
the plain meaning struggled for mastery and the word won. 

1. 68. it; i.e. to live uprightly. 

1. 78. stomach. Appetite — but for other things as well as 
for food. What are the two meanings intended here ? What 
other words in the last two lines of this scene are used in a 
double sense ? 

1. 1-81. In this scene what new light is thrown upon the 
character of Portia ? Of Jessica ? Has Launcelot more or 
less respect for Jessica than he had before she ran away ? 
Does he treat her any differently ? Does he like her as well 
as he did ? What is the principal purpose that has been accom- 
plished by this scene ? 

Reviews of Acts I., II., III. Review from memory the sub- 
jects of the scenes of the last three acts in order. Are there 
any scenes, or parts of scenes, that could be wholly omitted 
from a stage edition of the play ? Which character has devel- 
oped most in Act III.? What is the subject of this act as 
a whole ? Where has an especially passionate prose passage 
occurred ? Is there any reason why that passage was not 



174 NOTES [Act IV. 

written in verse ? Wliat passage in this act seems to be the 
most poetic in expression ? Is its poetry due chiefly to the use 
of words suggestive of beautiful scenes or objects, to beauti- 
ful comparisons, to the pleasing sound of the words, or to the 
rhythm of the lines ? 

Act IV, Scene I 

court of justice. On the modern stage the scene in the court 
of justice would be in every detail royal and magnificent. The 
marble walls of the court-room would be partly covered with 
rich hangings, and the robes of the magistrates would furnish 
color and luxuriance for this impressive gathering. The Duke's 
costume may be conceived as made of heavy purple silk, with a 
cape and trimmings of ermine. On tables at one side of the 
Duke may be seen massive tomes, or law-books, containing the 
statutes of the city of Venice. 

Portia is usually represented as disguised either in long, flow- 
ing robes of black silk, or in heavy garments of rich, red cloth. 
In either case she wears the lawyer's cap. 

1. 1. What. Well. No surprise is expressed. 

1. 6. From. What other preposition would be used to-day ? 

1. 7. qualify. Modify. Where in the play have we already 
learned that the Duke had been trying to pacify Shylock ? 

1. 8. What word in this line has the accent nearer the end 
than to-day ? 

1. 10. envy. Hatred. Often used with this meaning in 
Shakespeare. 



Scene 1.] NOTES 175 

1. 12, suffer. What is the object of this verb ? 

I. 13. tyranny. Cruelty. 

II. 18, 19. lead'st this fashion, etc. Pushest this appearance 
of malice to the very moment of execution. 

1. 20. remorse. In the ordinary sense, or, perhaps, in the 
sense of pity. 

1. 20. more strange, etc. Why so ? 

1. 26. moiety. Part. 

1. 29. enow. With the same meaning as in III., v., 19. 

1. 33. offices. Acts. 

1. 34. gentle answer. If Shylock should do what the Duke 
suggests, would he still get his revenge ? When he lent the 
money, what, possibly, was all that he intended to do ? 

1. 35. possessed. See I., iii., 62 — note. 

1. 39. charter. See III., ii., 274 — note. 

1. 43. humour. See III., v., 54. 

1. 46. baned. Killed. 

1. 47. gaping pig. A roasted pig served at table with a 
lemon in its mouth. 

1. 54. certain. Fixed. 

1. 56. losing. Who is losing ? Shylock ? 

1. 58. current. Why a good word here to express the nature 
of Shylock's proceedings ? What comparison is implied in the 
word ? 



176 NOTES [Act IV. 

1. 61. Does this line answer Bassanio's question ? What 
does it mean ? How sliould you answer Shylock ? 

1. 62. offence. Resentment. To-day the word is used oftener 
in the active sense ; here it is passive. 

1. 64. think. Eemember. What word should be emphasized 
in reading this line aloud ? 

I. QQ. bate. See III., iii., 32. 

II. 69, 70. WTiat peculiar grammatical construction in these 
lines ? 

1. 71. fretten. The old English form still retained. The 
folios have fretted. 

1. 76. conveniency. Get the meaning from the use of con- 
veniently in II., viii., 45. 

1. 86. parts. Duties. Is Shylock' s argument from lines 
83-94 valid? 

1. 120. envy. See line 10, above. 

1. 121. wit. Where used before in the very beginning of 
the play with the same meaning that it has here ? 

1. 122. inexecrable. Inexorable. 

1. 123. justice be accused. For what crime does Gratiano 
think Justice herself ought to be punished ? 

1. 125. Pythagoras. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras 
taught the doctrine known as "the transmigration of souls." 
According to his teachings the soul of a man was supposed to 
pass after death into the body of some animal. Then it passed 
from animal to animal, and finally back again into man. 



Scene 1.] NOTES 177 

1. 128. hang'd. Professor Thurber calls attention in his edi- 
tion of the play to a curious account of " Legal Persecutions of 
the Lower Animals," Chambers's Book of Days ^ Vol. L, p. 126. 
It seems from this article that animals were once tried in court 
for offences, excommunicated, imprisoned, and sometimes 
hanged. The argument for so doing seems rather plausible 
from one point of view. Because God had cursed the serpent, 
and the Saviour had cursed the unproductive fig-tree, therefore 
it was possible and consistent to curse and excommunicate the 
lower animals. Since, however, the lower animals had been 
created before man, it was argued that they were important and 
worthy in the eyes of the Creator, and deserved a fair trial in 
the court, with lawyers to defend their rights. Some editors 
think that this reference to the loolf may have had a con- 
nection with the execution of Dr. Lopez (see Sources of the 
Play). The name of the doctor is similar to the Latin lupus, 
a wolf. 

Very likely, however, Gratiano merely alludes to a popular 
fable. 

1. 134, offend' st. Dost injure. 

1.146. visitation. Now used only of apparently supernatural 
visits, or of punishments. 

1. 155. Two negatives in this line. What are they ? How 
would it be necessary to change it in order to express the right 
meaning to-day ? 

1. 164. difference. A polite term for a lawsuit. 

1. 172. impugn. Oppose. 



178 NOTES [Act IV. 

1. 173. within his danger. What different meaning does 
this have here from what it would have to-day ? 

1. 177. quality. Nature. 
1. 177. strain'd. Forced. 

1. 188. attribute. In what different meaning is this used 
from what it was in line 184, above ? 

1. 190. seasons. Tempers. "With what meaning was this 
used in III., ii., 76 ? In Act V. it will occur again. 

1. 197. Which if thou follow. Where in I. , iii. , have we had 
a similar sudden change of construction ? 

1. 199. My deeds upon my head. What passage in the New 
Testament does this remind you of ? See Matt, xxvii. 25. 

1. 207. truth. Honesty. 

1. 211. It must not be. Booth: " Shy lock's face expresses 
joy and astonishment." 

1. 214. error. In its strict Latin meaning of i 



1. 215. Booth: " Portia utters, 'It cannot be,' . . . with great 
decision. [The next lines, 216, 217] Shylock utters almost 
wildly (not too loud), and kisses the hem of Portia's gown." 

1. 216. Daniel. A Hebrew prince, whom Nebuchadnezzar, 
king of Babylon, carried into captivity with many other Israel- 
ites. Daniel came into great favor at the court of Babylon 
because of the power that he was said to possess of interpreting 
dreams and solving riddles. Portia had shown this same power 
of divination, Shylock thought, in interpreting the law as she 
does. 



Scene 1.] NOTES 179 

1. 222. perjury on my soul. Is Sliylock's horror of commit- 
ting perjury sincere ? 

1. 235. on. On the strength of. 

1. 240. intent. Intention. 

1. 240. purpose. Meaning. 

1. 241. Hath full relation to, etc. Has reference to, or allows 
the validity of the penalty. 

1. 244. more elder. Double comparatives are common in 
Shakespeare. 

1. 247. " Nearest his heart. " Were they " the very words " 
of the original bond as we heard it stated ? Booth says : "Shy- 
lock takes the bond eagerly from Portia, and, when returning 
it to her after ' those are the very words,' looks at Antonio." 

1. 248. balance. This word is used here either as a plural, 
or else, for the sake of euphony, the final " s" is not sounded, 
or even written. 

1. 261. use. Custom. 

1. 268. speak me fair in death. Speak well of me when I 
am dead. In lines 257-274 note the passages that exhibit the 
courtesy of Antonio, those that show his kindness of heart, his 
courage, and his princely dignity. In line 274 a pun for once is 
both dignified and pathetic. 

1. 289. Barrabas. A leader of rebellion and a murderer, 
who, at the request of the Jews, was pardoned instead of Jesus. 
See Luke xxiii. 18-21. What feelings as a father does Shylock 
show here ? 



180 NOTES [Act IV. 

1. 294. Most rightful judge. Booth : " With back to audi- 
ence, and knife raised liigh above liis head." 

1. 297. Booth: "Most learned judge" is uttered with an 
exultant voice. 

1. 305. Booth : " Sliylock staggers backv^ard and drops the 
knife." 

1. 327. In this line vv^hat peculiar expression that we had 
before in the play? Where ? Why especially appropriate to 
have it spoken here to Shylock ? 

1. 347. privy. Secret. 
1. 365. drive unto. Reduce to. 

1. 372. halter. What other person in the play had previously 
suggested a halter as a suitable present for Shylock ? 

L 374. for. Of ; i.e. consisting of, 

1. 376. in use. In trust. 

1.387. I am content. Booth: "Shylock, thus addressed, 
raises both head and hands as if about to appeal to Portia, 
checks himself, and says very slowly, as head and hands drop, 
' I am content.' His last words are uttered plaintively. As 
Shylock is leaving, Gratiano seizes his left arm, and at the con- 
clusion of the taunting speech with which he addresses him, 
casts Shylock's hand from him. Shylock bows low to the 
Duke, and slowly totters toward the door, — he meets Antonio, 
and shrinks with abhorrence ; raises his hand (as on previous 
occasions), which slowly descends upon the back of his head as 
it drops upon his breast, — falls against the door, which slowly 
opens." 



Scene 1.] NOTES 181 

11. 340-393. What was the sentence against Shylock as Portia 
first gave it ? How did it read as Portia and Antonio finally 
allowed it to stand ? How much money had Shylock lost alto- 
gether ? Did he have the chance still left him to become again 
as rich as ever ? Would he be tempted to become extravagant 
and reckless because of the end to which liis fortune was finally 
to be put ? Why did Antonio demand that the Jew should 
become a Christian ? What do you think Shylock did with 
himself after this affair was over ? 

1. 399. gratify. Reward. 

1. 404. Three thousand ducats. Was this a generous offer ? 
Was the money Bassanio's to give ? 

1. 405. cope. Set against. 

I. 423. trifle. Why did not Bassanio tell the truth at once ? 
1.424. to give. The gerund. See I., i., 40 — note. 

II. 1-450. Would Portia have been better pleased with Bas- 
sanio if he had given her the ring more willingly ? Professor 
Moulton thinks that Antonio and Bassanio both were punished 
in this scene. If so, how ? and what for ? Is Antonio's char- 
acter changed at the end of the scene ? Has Portia acted the 
character she imagined for herself in III. , iv. ? Has she shown 
herself more than " an unlessoned girl," or has it been the 
emergency that has brought her forth ? Do you learn any- 
thing from this scene concerning the character of Bassanio and 
of his love for Portia ? Has Gratiano proved himself anything 
more than a man that likes to hear himself talk ? Whom does 
he copy in all things ? 



182 NOTES [Act IV. 

Professor Moulton shows how the trial scene is an instance 
of "the Nemesis of Measure for Measure." (1) Shylock 
appeals to the law of Venice and the charter. AVith what re- 
sponse corresponding to this is he finally answered ? (2) He 
explains his actions as mere humor. With what answer is 
this well met ? (3") He demands the bond rather than any 
amount of money. What at last is the corresponding verdict ? 
(4) He feels perfectly secure, "doing no wrong, and dreading 
no judgment." What is the exactly opposite condition in 
which finally he finds himself ? (5) He exults in the down- 
fall of his victim, and cries "A Daniel come to judgment!" 
What is the cry that greets him as the sentence falls heavily 
upon his own shoulders ? 

Debate this question : Was Portia justified by law in her 
decision against Shylock ? (Remember that the accusation has 
been made that Shylock was defeated by a quibble such as no 
court would entertain.) Take up the points one by one, for 
the case is complex. Consider this also : Why did Portia so 
long delay the sentence, and keep Antonio and Bassanio in 
such agonizing suspense ? 

Dr. Purness notes one point in this scene where the play 
wavers for a moment between comedy and tragedy. Consider 
what is meant by comedy, and what by tragedy ; then where 
this point is ; then how the play would have ended as a tragedy ; 
and finally how differently you would have regarded Shylock if 
such had been the end. 

In this scene which passage do you consider contains the 
most pathos ? which the most humor ? which the most spite ? 
which the most beauty ? 



Scene 2.] NOTES 183 

Scene II 
1. 6. advice. Reflection. 

I. 15. old. Copious. 

II. 1-19. Would anything be lost to the dramatic effect of the 
play, or to our conception of any of the characters, if this scene 
were entirely omitted ? 

Review. Review scene by scene the story of the last two 
acts. 

Act V. Scene I 

Belmont. If it could be represented on the stage, we might 
(following Hunter) imagine a large, far-reaching estate, com- 
prising gTassy lawns, smooth terraces, and shady groves, sur- 
rounding the palace of Portia. We are reminded all through 
the scene of summer zephyrs in the tree-tops, of trickling water 
flowing from marble fountains, and of soft moonbeams that 
stray in here and there through the foliage and shrubbery to 
rest on some graceful statue, or the dainty arch of a Venetian 
summer-house. Music may occasionally be heard from within, 
and the horn of a post echoes faintly and far off among the 
quiet hills. 

1. 4. Troilus. Troilus, one of the sons of Priam, was deeply 
in love with Cressid (Cressida). She was taken by the Greeks, 
however, in an exchange of prisoners, and, in spite of her vow 
to remain faithful to Troilus, she shortly forgot him altogether 
for his deadly foe, the Grecian Diomedes. Troilus was finally 
slain by Achilles. In what other one of Shakespeare's plays do 
these two personages appear ? 



184 NOTES [Act V. 

1. 7. Thisbe. Thisbe, in love with Pyramus, conies to the 
trysting-place by moonlight and is scared away by seeing a lion. 
The beast picks up her veil in his bloody mouth, but drops it 
just as Pyramus arrives upon the scene. The latter, seeing the 
blood-stained veil, thinks that Thisbe has been slain by the 
lion. In despair, then, the poor fellow stabs himself. Thisbe, 
recovering from her scare, returns to find her lover lying dead, 
and she too ends her life. In Shakespeare's Midsummer NighVs 
Dream there is a burlesque of this adventure of Pyramus and 
Thisbe. 

1. 10. Dido. Dido, queen of Carthage, who loved the wan- 
dering Trojan prince ^neas. 

I. 13. Medea. By her magic arts, Medea brought back to 
life ^son, the father of Jason. Where twice before in the 
play has the story of Jason been referred to ? 

II. 1-24. All the tragedy and fierce passions of the trial scene 
have vanished now, and, preparatory to the joyous reunion of the 
lovers in Belmont and the restoration of prosperity to Antonio, 
Shakespeare has given us this bewitching scene in the garden. 
It is like a soft prelude of beautiful music proclaiming the bliss- 
ful and tender loves of those whose married life is now to begin 
in earnest. Show how full these verses are of old romance, of 
passionate love, of sad strains of melancholy, of soft, tender 
touches of humor, and of the magic and witchery of nature. 
See the pictures old and new that arise before you. Note the 
poetic suggestiveness of the words that are used. Lastly ob- 
serve the music in the lines of the poetry — how they sing 
themselves. Responsive stanzas like these are called amoehean. 



Scene 1.] NOTES 185 

See how the exact correspondence of stanza to stanza (known 
as stichomythia) has the effect of rhyme. Notice where the 
refrain occurs. It all brings back to our minds once more 
the courtly Antonio, admired and loved by all his friends, the 
happy, care-free Bassanio, and the beautiful, mirth-loving, 
queenly Portia. These are the three that are to remain in our 
thoughts as the play closes. Love has conquered hate and 
mercy seasoned justice ; let Love sing her joy and proclaim her 
triumph. 

1. 39. Sola, sola ! A cry to attract notice. 

1. 57. Become'. Are becoming to, or suited to. 

1. 57. touches. He is probably thinking of the 7iotes pro- 
duced by the touches of the hands on the instruments. 

1. 59. patines. (Pronounced pa-tins.) These were small 
gold plates used in the communion service in the church. 

1. 61. sings. Perhaps Shakespeare recalled the Hebrew 
verse, Job xxxviii. 7 : " When the morning stars sang to- 
gether," and thought of each star as singing by itself as it 
revolves in its orbit. 

1. 62. quiring. Singing in concert with cherubins. The 
Hebrew plural of cherub is cherubim, or cherubin. Shakespeare 
adds an English plural ending to this form. The cherubim 
were one of the orders of angels. For the Hebrew conception 
of the cherubim, see Ezekiel x. 

1. 64. muddy vesture of decay. The body. 

1. 65. cannot hear it. When only, according to Shakespeare, 
may men expect to hear this singing of the stars ? 



186 NOTES [Act V. 

1. QQ. Diana. The goddess of the moon. See also I., ii., 
103, note. 

1. 70. spirits. Mind. Eead again II., vii., 46, and IV., i,, 
361, and tell in what two other meanings this word has already- 
been used in Shakespeare. 

1. 70. attentive. Fastened on serious thoughts, and not, 
therefore, free and merry. 

1. 77. mutual. General, common. 

1. 79. poet. Probably referring here to Ovid, from whom 
Shakespeare drew many of his stories of Greek and Roman 
mythology. 

1. 80. feign. Pretend, by his imaginative invention. 

1. 80. Orpheus. The famous musician who accompanied 
Jason on his expedition after the Golden Fleece. He was said 
to be able to draw after him, by the power of his music, the 
trees, the stones, and the rivers, and to guide and rule the wild 
beasts. 

1. 86. spirit. With which of the three meanings that we 
have had thus far is this word used here ? 

1. 86. dull. Slow, or gloomy. 

I. 87. Erebus. The extremely dark and gloomy passage 
through which the souls of the dead had to pass on their way 
from Earth to Hades. 

II. 1-88. Has Jessica changed in character ? Why does she 
seem different here ? 

1. 91. good deed. What verse in the Sermon on the Mount 
does this remind you of ? 



Scene 1.] NOTES 187 

1. 91. naughty. For the meaning here see III., iii., 9. 

1. 99. respect. Eespect to circumstances and surroundings. 

1. 103. attended. Listened to ; or, perhaps, attended by the 
appropriate surroundings. What is it, does Portia think, that 
gives the chief attractiveness and charm to the song of the 
nightingale ? What is the present implication of her remark ? 

1. 107. season. Right time. 

1. 107. season'd. We have already had this word in tv^o 
meanings: one in III., ii., 76, and again in IV., i., 190. Which 
meaning is used here ? 

1. 109. Peace. To whom does Portia address these words? 

1. 109. Endymion. A beautiful young boy loved by the 
moon-goddess, Diana. She caused him to fall into a perpetual 
sleep on the side of a mountain, in order that, without his 
knowledge, she might gaze on his beauty, and print a kiss upon 
his lips. 

1. 121. tucket. A flourish on a trumpet. 

1. 127. Antipodes. The people that live on the opposite side 
of the globe. Why did Bassanio think that they were having 
their day at the same time as were the Antipodes ? 

1. 129. light. Where twice before in the play has this word 
been punned upon ? 

1. 130. heavy. Sorrowful. 

I. 132. sort all. Decide for all ; i.e. as He thinks best. 

II. 136, 137. What pun in these lines ? 



188 NOTES [Act V. 

1. 141. breathing courtesy. What is the meaning of this, 
and what similar expression did the servant use in II. , ix. ? 

1. 146. posy. Motto. Judging from tlie next line, on what 
other things besides rings should you say that these mottoes 
were often inscribed? 

1. 154. respective. Mindful. 

1. 160. scrubbed. Some commentators explain the meaning 
of this by referring to scrub in ' ' scrub-oak, ' ' a iind of dwarf - 
oak. 

1. 174. mad. Does this mean only vexed^ as it is often im- 
properly used to-day ? 

1. 197. contain. Retain. 

1. 201. modesty. For the meaning here see II., ii., 183. 

1. 202. to. As to. 

1. 202. ceremony. Something held sacred. 

1. 224. advised. Where used in the same sense before ? 

1. 237. wealth. Welfare. 

1. 238. which. What is the antecedent of which ? 

1. 239. miscarried. Suffered injury. 

1. 275. charge us there upon inter' gatories. A law terin 
explained by the following : "In the Court of Queen's Bench, 
when a complaint is made against a person for ' contempt,' 
the practice is that before sentence is finally pronounced he is 
sent into the Crown Office, and being there ' charged upon in- 
terrogatories,' he is made to swear that he will 'answer all 
things faithfully.' " — Campbell. 



Scene 1.] NOTES 1S9 

11. 1-278. What do you consider the chief purpose of this 
last act ? 

Review of Acts I. — V. Eeview the play by giving in order 
from memory the subject of each scene ; then again by giving 
the subject of each act. Where do you consider the turning- 
point, or crisis, of the play to be ? Remember that this crisis 
is apt to come near the middle of the play. Unravel each 
one of the four stories that go to make up this play. At what 
point do these four stories come together for a short time. 



SUBJECTS FOR THEMES 

Several subjects have already been suggested in the notes. 
Many others may be found. 

1. The Wit of Antonio contrasted with that of Gratiano. 

2. The Kindness of Antonio. 

3. The Character of Bassanio : Was he worthy of Portia ? 

4. Was Bassanio seeking Portia for Love or for Money ? 

5. The Friendship between Antonio and Bassanio : Was it 
equally strong on both sides ? 

6. The Characters of the Three Suitors as revealed by 
their Choice of the Caskets. 

7. The Foresight of Portia's Father as shown in his Will. 

8. The Three Lovers of the Play and their Ways of Win- 
ning their Wives. 

9. Portia and Jessica as Daughters. 

10. Portia and Jessica in Disguise. 

11. Launcelot and his Jokes. 



190 NOTES 

12. The Development of Shylock's Plan for Revenge. 

13. The Morality of Antonio compared with that of Shylock. 

14. The Law in the Trial Scene : Was Shylock justly 
condemned ? 

15. The Light and the Serious Elements in Portia's Char- 
acter. 

16. The Play as an Exhibition of Two Great Passions. 

17. The Dark and Light Effects in the Play. (How inter- 
woven ?) 

18. The Relation of Mercy and Law in Business Relations : 
What Shakespeare would teach by the play. 

19. Shylock and Isaac of York {Ivanlioe). 

20. The Friendship of Antonio and Bassanio compared with 
that of David and Jonathan, or with that of Achilles and 
Patroclus. 

21. The Four Stories of the Play. 

22. The Bible in the Play. 

23. Classical Allusions in the Play. 

24. Qualities of Literary Style in the Play. 

25. Illustrations for an Edition of the Play. 

26. The Metre of the Play : How certain metres are very 
effectively used. 

27. Allusions to England in the Elizabethan Age. 

28. Shylock on the Stage. 

For the last topic, see especially articles on Kean, Booth, 
and Irving. The Furness Variorum and Professor Dowden's 
Introduction to Shakespeare are especially good on this last sub- 
ject. For Kean, see also Hazlitt ( Characters of Shakespeare'' s 
Plays.) 



191 



DURATION OF ACTION 



We need not feel especially troubled if, when we begin to 
plot out sucb a matter-of-fact affair as a time-table, this play- 
reveals some inconsistencies. Shakespeare uses many devices 
to make us feel the lapse of the three months that the bond 
was to run. At the same time, for the sake of sustaining the 
interest in the action, he pushes the plot forward as rapidly 
as possible. 

The action of this play is presented in eight days, and the 
following table (Daniel's Time-Analysis of the Plots of Shake- 
speare'' s Flays) is as satisfactory as any : — 

Day 1. Act I. Interval — say a week. 

Day 2. Act II., i.-vii. Interval — one day. 

Day 3. Act II., viii.-ix. Interval — bringing the time to 
within a fortnight of the maturity of the bond. 

Day 4. Act III. , i. Interval — rather more than a fort- 
night. 

Day 5. Act III., ii.-iv. 

Day 6. Act III., v.; Act IV. 

Days 7 and 8. Act V. 

In reading the play the student is advised to work out from 
time to time the reasons for this computation. 

THE METRE OF THE PLAY 

In reading Shakespeare we must not forget that we are usu- 
ally reading poetry, and that poetry is music. Music, as well 
as words, is a medium for the expression of thought, a medium 



192 NOTES 

most delicate and sensitive, and capable of making us feel and 
understand what words could never express. If then we would 
think and feel with Shakespeare, we must respond to the rhythm 
of his verse. Where prose occurs in the play, there is usually 
some change in the characters, or some variation in emotion. 

The Normal Verse. — In the verse of Shakespeare's dramas 
the normal line is as follows : — 

" In sooth, I I know | not why | I am | so sad : " | 

— I., i., 1. 

This verse consists of five feet ; it is therefore called a pen- 
tameter. Each foot consists of two syllables, of which the 
second is accented ; each foot is called an iambus. This gives 
to the verse the full name of ' ' iambic pentameter. ' ' 

Variations in the Number of Feet — But Shakespeare is a 
poet, an artist, and he seeks not regularity and monotony but 
melody and variation. In the first place the number of sylla- 
bles in the line is not always exactly ten. The following line 
has three extra syllables, which make an extra foot and one 
unaccented syllable besides : — 

" Because ] you are | not sad. | Now by | two-head | ed Ja | nus," 

— I., i., 50. 

Such a line is called a hexameter, or an Alexandrine, and 
is not common in this play. Very frequently, however, as in 
this same line, a single unaccented syllable will be "left over." 
In this case the verse is said to have a feminine ending. Lines 
also occur of less than ten syllables, although a verse left incom- 



NOTES 193 

plete by one speaker is frequently completed by another. The 
following, for example, is only one verse : — 

' ' Would make | me sad. | 

My wind | cooling | my broth," | 
— I., i., 22. 

Variations in the Kind of Feet. — Variations also occur in 
the kind of feet ; they are not all iambi. In the last quotation 
the fourth foot is a trochee (two syllables, of which the first is 
accented) . Some commentators, however, choose to divide the 
last part of this verse thus : — 

"My wind, | (pause) cool | ing my broth." 

Such a division substitutes, for the iambus in the last foot, an 
anapest (three syllables, of which the last is accented). In 
some cases the accent seems to waver between two successive 
syllables without settling strongly on either ; occasionally, also, 
two successive syllables are both strongly accented. Finally, it 
must be remembered that the pronunciation of some words in 
Shakespeare's time differed from the usage of to-day. The 
question of pronunciation was not so well settled then as 
now, and some words were pronounced in more than one 
way. Thus, ocean is treated sometimes as of three syllables, 
the Latin being o-ce-a-nus. 

Occasionally a stanza is introduced containing a metre en- 
tirely different from the iambic pentameter. In the lyrics of 
The Merchant of Venice most of the lines are trochaic tetram- 
eter (four trochees in a line) with the occasional substitution 



194 NOTES 

of an iambus, or of a dactyl (three syllables, of which the 
first is accented). 

" Often I have you | heard that told : 
Many a | man his | life hath | sold." 

— II., vii., 66, 67. 

Sometimes an iambic line is substituted in one of the trochaic 
stanzas, as in II., vii., 72. 

In v., i., note also the amoebean verses, and the stichomythia ; 
both of these terms are explained on p. 184, 11. 1-24 — note. 



SOURCES OF THE PLAY 

The Originality of Shakespeare. — Shakespeare was not an 
imitator nor a plagiarist, although he probably never devised the 
entire plot of any one of his dramas. But what need had he 
of original stories when in London libraries and bookstalls could 
be found translations of French and Italian romances, and when 
the history of his own country and of Scotland was full of the 
most thrilling tragedy ? What time, moreover, had he in which 
to devise plots had he wished, since he was actor as well as 
playwright, and since, as Dr. Furness shows us from an exami- 
nation of the diary of the stage-manager, Henslowe, the London 
public demanded ' ' a new play, upon an average, every seven- 
teen or eighteen days, including Sundays " ? Shakespeare him- 
self, as the same author computes, must have written on the 
average at least two plays a year. Above all it must be remem- 
bered that the story or old play that Shakespeare found ready 
made, was a mere outline, and that it had to be altered to suit 



NOTES 195 

his taste, that it had sometimes to be combined with other 
stories, and that its shadowy characters had to be developed 
and made lifelike. 

The Merchant of Venice: (i) The Bond Story. —One 

reading of The Merchant of Venice will reveal two distinct 
stories, that usually spoken of as The Bond Story, and that 
known as The Three Caskets. In the Elizabethan age these 
were already old and had been told by many people in 
many tongues. The Bond story, with some variation in details, 
was known among the Hindus in India, among the Turks in 
Constantinople, and among the Persians. It is found in the 
Gesta Bomanorum, a collection of legends and stories written 
in Latin by English monks of the thirteenth or fourteenth 
century. It is written in English in the Cursor 3Iundi, a poem 
composed about 1320. Finally it appears in one of those Italian 
novels so popular in Shakespeare's time, II Pecorone. In many 
respects the drama corresponds very closely to this novel. In 
the novel, as in Shakespeare, the merchant lends money to a 
friend (his godchild in fact) , in order that the latter may win a 
fair lady for his wife. The generous lender is forgotten by the 
ardent lover and is in danger of losing his life, when he is rescued 
by the lady herself in the guise of a lawyer. Here, moreover, 
the mystery of the lady's disguise is solved by the episode of 
the riilgs, itself really a third narrative, and, except in this 
novel, not united with the story of the bond. In addition to the 
sources mentioned above, two English ballads have been found 
relating the story of the Jew and the pound of flesh. Possibly, 
however, these ballads may have been based upon the play ; the 
date of their composition is uncertain. Although not in any 



196 NOTES 

sense a story, The Orator, a French work translated into Eng- 
lish and printed in London just before The Merchant of Venice 
was published, may have had some effect upon Shakespeare's 
play. This book discusses various questions of science and 
law, among others " Of a Jew, who would for his debt have a 
pound of the flesh of a Christian." 

(2) The Three Caskets. — In one or another form, The 
Three Caskets was also in Shakespeare's day an oft-told tale. 
As early as the year 800 it was written in Greek by a monk of 
Syria, and before 1200 was translated into Latin, Then the 
story seems to have passed from one group of narratives to 
another, appearing in Italian in the Decameron of Boccaccio, 
and later in the Golden Legend (a collection of the biographies 
of saints), and appearing again in English in the Confessio 
Amantis, a poem written by Gower, a contemporary of Chaucer. 

(3) The Jessica Story. — The story of Jessica and of her 
elopement with Lorenzo is traced by some (Dunlop) to another 
old Italian tale. I give a quotation from the Variorum of Dr. 
Eurness : " ' It is the story of a young gentleman of Messina, 
who becomes enamoured of the daughter of a rich Neapolitan 
miser. As the father keeps his child perpetually shut up, the 
lover has recourse to stratagem. Pretending to set out on a 
long journey, he deposits with the miser a number of valuable 
effects, leaving, among other things, a female slave, who pre- 
possesses the mind of the girl in favour of her master, and 
finally assists in the elopement of the young lady, and the 
robbery of her father's jewels, which she carries along with 
her. ... It is not improbable that the avaricious father in 
this tale, the daughter so carefully shut up, the elopement of 



JVOTES 197 

the lovers managed by the intervention of a servant, the 
robbery of the father, and his grief on the discovery, which is 
represented as divided between tlie loss of his daughter and 
ducats, may have suggested the third plot in Shakespeare's 
drama, — the love and elopement of Jessica and Lorenzo.' " 

Gosson's Jew and Marlowe's Jew of Malta. — There still 
remain two more probabilities to be considered. In a tirade 
upon the abuses of the stage, Stephen Gosson, a short time 
before The Merchant of Venice was published, refers to a play 
which he calls the "Jew," and in connection with it speaks of 
"the greediness of worldly chusers" and "the bloody mindes 
of usurers." Critics have thought it very likely that these 
words might refer to an older play than Shakespeare's, a play 
in which the several stories were already combined, and which 
was rewritten by Shakespeare, Or which at least formed the 
outline of TJie Merchant of Venice. Marlowe, also, a dramatist 
second only to Shakespeare at that time, had written, about 
1590, a play known as The Jew of Malta. There are lines in 
this play which almost surely suggested certain details of The 
Merchant of Venice. 

Dr. Lopez. — In conclusion, one fact of contemporary his- 
tory needs to be noted. Although, according to the law of 
England, the Jews were excluded from that country during 
the time of Shakespeare, yet some of them surely evaded the 
law. It is interesting to know that in 1594, probably two 
years before the composition of this play, a certain Dr. Lopez, 
an eminent Jewish physician of London, was publicly executed 
for treason. He had become implicated in certain court 
troubles by a Portuguese refugee, a man bearing the suggestive 



198 NOTES 

name of Antonio Perez. The affair caused general interest 
and excitement in London, and we can easily imagine that 
Shakespeare might have been as much stirred as any by the 
death of the unfortunate doctor. 

Summary. — That parts of The Merchant of Venice can be 
traced back into the Dark Ages, is not by any means a proof 
that Shakespeare spent his days and nights poring over old 
manuscripts and translating forgotten languages before he be- 
gan to stir the heart of Bassanio with love for the Lady of 
Belmont, or before he set Shylock to work on his evil plot 
against Antonio. Indeed he was probably not aware of the 
existence of most of the "sources" that his commentators have 
spent their lives in unearthing. Perhaps he was familiar with 
the Italian novel in the original, or in an English translation ; 
perhaps he had heard a ballad about a cruel Jew. In brief the 
truth probably is that Shakespeare founded his play on the 
older one mentioned by Gosson, that one of these two plays 
derived much of its material from Tl Pecorone, that Shake- 
speare found some suggestions in Silvayn's Orator, and in 
Marlowe's Jew of Malta, and that as he wrote he often thought 
of Dr. Lopez and of his undeserved fate. 



INDEX TO NOTES 



a', 144. 

abroad, 123. 

account, 166. 

address'd, 156. 

advice, 183. 

advised, 127, 141, 188. 

agitation, 172. 

Alcides, 164. 

ambitious, 153. 

amity, 170. 

am then forsworn, 163. 

an, au't, 132, 144. 

ancient Roman honour, 168. 

Antipodes, 187. 

Antonio, 121. 

appropriation, 131. 

argosies, 122. 

as, 128, 137, 165. 

as blunt, 153. 

aspect, 124, 140. 

assured, 135. 

As who, 126. 

attended, 187. 

attentive, 186. 

attribute, 178. 

ay, he was the third, 137. 

balance, 179. 
baned, 175. 



barbarous multitude, 157. 
Barrabas, 179. 
Bars me the right, 141. 
Bassanio, 122. 
bastard, 172. 
bate, bated, 170, 176. 
bear my wroth, 158. 
Become, 185. 
beholding, 138. 
Belmont, 130, 183. 
Beshrew, 163. 
Beshrewme, 152. 
bespeak, 161. 

best-conditioned and unwea- 
ried, 168. 
better, 141. 
bid forth, 149. 
Black-Monday, 149. 
bleared, 164. 
blest or cursed'st, 142. 
blood, 166. 
break up, 148. 
breathing courtesy, 188. 
bridegroom's ear, 163. 
Brutus' Portia, 128. 
burghers, 123. 
burial, 123. 
by, 132. 
By your leave, 148, 



199 



200 



INDEX TO NOTES 



cater-cousins, 145. 
cannot hear it, 185. 
caught it, found it, came by it, 

122. 
cerecloth, 154. 
ceremony, 188. 
certain, 175. 
certified the Duke, 155. 
charge us there upon inter'ga- 

tories, 188. 
charter, 175. 
Charybdis, 172. 
chased, 151. 
cheer, 167, 168. 
cherubins, 185. 
choose, 131. 
choosing wrong, 162. 
circumstance, 128. 
clear, 157. 
close, 152. 

commends, 158, 167. 
commodity, 169. 
competency, 131. 
complexion, 159. 
compromised, 137. 
conceit, 126, 170. 
conceits, 173. 
condition, 133. 
conscience, 143. 
Consisteth of all nations, 170. 
constant, 167. 
constitution, 167. 
contain, 188. 
continent, 166. 
contrary, 132. 
conveniency, 176. 



convenient, 171. 
conveniently, 155. 
cope, 181. 
County, 131. 
court of justice, 174. 
cover, 157, 172. 
cozen, 157. 
cream, 126. 
creditors, 161. 
cross, crost, 150, 153. 
current, 175. 
curse, 161. 
curt'sy, 123. 
customary bounty, 170. 

damnation, 153. 

Daniel, 178. 

Death, 154. 

defect, 145. 

Defy, 173. 

degrees, 157. 

deliberate, 158. 

deliver'd, 169. 

demi-god, 165. 

devil, 159. 

devil into, 135. 

Diana, 133, 186. 

Dido, 184. 

difference, 177. 

direction, 141. 

discourse grow commendable, 

172. 
discover, 152. 
disgraced, 160. 
distinct, 157. 
dog, 169. 



INDEX TO NOTES 



201 



draw, 158. 

drive unto, 180. 

drudge, 165. 

ducats, 135. 

dull, 186. 

Duration of Action, 191. 

edge of a feather-bed, 146. 

Eudymion, 187. 

enough, 153. 

enow, 175. 

entertain, 126. 

envy, 174, 176. 

equal, 138. 

Erebus, 186. 

ergo, 144. 

error, 178. " 

estate, 167. 

estates, 157. 

estimation, 153. 

even, 153. 

even now, 166. 

exceeding, 125, 143. 

excrement, 164. 

exhibit, 147. 

exhortation after dinner, 126. 

eye, 150. 

fair, 141, 171. 
faithless, 148. 
fall, falls, 132, 166. 
fancy, 164. 
father, 144. 
fawning, 136. 
fear'd, 140. 
fearful, 139. 



fear you, 172. 

feign, 186. 

fields, 141. 

flesh and blood, 159. 

flight, 127. 

fond, 156, 169. 

fool, 125. 

for, 139, 170, 180. 

for intermission, 166. 

for my sake, 129. 

for this gear, 127. 

fortune go to hell, 163. 

four, 133. 

fraught, 155. 

fretten, 176. 

friends, 138. 

From, 174. 

from me, 166. 

frutify, 145. 

Gaoler, 169. 

gaping pig, 175. 

gentle answer, 175. 

gleaned, 157. 

God bless the mark, 143. 

go hard, 160. 

golden fleece, 128. 

good, 135. 

good deed, 186. 

good for, 160. 

goodly outside, 138. 

got, 172. 

Gramercy, 144. 

Gratiano's lodging, 148. 

gratify, 181. 

grow to, 143. 



202 



INDEX TO NOTES 



guarded, 145. 
gudgeon, 126. 
guiled, 165. 

habit, 146. 

Hagar, 150. 

half, 167. 

halter, 180. 

hang'd, 177. 

Hath full relation to, 179. 

head, 158. 

hearsed, 161. 

heavy, 187. 

Hercules, 141, 164. 

high-day, 158. 

his election, 156. 

hood, 152. 

hood my eyes, 146. 

hour, 151. 

hovel-post, 144. 

how far, 165. 

howling, 164. 

humility, 160. 

humour, 175. 

humours, 173. 

Hyrcanian deserts, 153. 

I am content, 180. 

I could not do withal, 171. 

imagined, 171. 

impeach the freedom of the 

state, 168. 
impenetrable, 169. 
imposition, 132, 171. 
impugn, 177. 
in, 148. 



incarnal, 143. 

Indian beauty, 165. 

inexecrable, 176. 

infection, 145. 

in gross, 166. 

in my constant soul, 152. 

innocence, 127. 

in one bottom, 124. 

inserted, 138. 

intent, 179. 

In terms of, 140. 

in the mean, 130. 

in the weather, 156. 

in use, 180. 

in way of, 124. 

It, 122, 169, 173. 

It cannot be, 178. 

I thank God, 161. 

it is not love, 162. 

It must not be, 178. 

I wis, 158. 

Janus, 124. 
Jessica, 147. 
Jewess', 150. 
jump with, 156. 
justice be accused, 176. 

kept, 169. 
kind, 138. 

knapped ginger, 159. 
knave, 139. 

laugh, 125. 

Launcelot, 142. 

lead'st this fashion, 175. 



INDEX TO NOTES 



203 



least themselves, 164. 

leave you, 127. 

level, 131. 

liberal, 146. 

Lichas, 141. 

life, 163. 

light, 187. 

likely, 158. 

livery, 140. 

Lord worshipped might he be ! 

144. 
Lorenzo, 167. 
lose, 125. 
losing, 175. 
love, 155. 
lover, 170. 

mad, 188. 
magnificoes, 168. 
manners, 147, 170. 
mantle, 126. 
marriage, 156. 
marry, 143. 
Mars, 164. 
masque, 149. 
Master, 143. 
match, 160. 
May you, 135. 
Medea, 184. 
mere enemy, 167. 
Metre of the Play, 191. 
Midas, 165. 
miscarried, 188. 
misconstrued, 146. 
mo, 152. 
modesty, 146, 188. 



moe, 127. 

moiety, 175. 

month, 162. 

more elder, 179. 

more strange, 175. 

Morocco, 140. 

mortal-breathing, 153. 

mortifying, 125. 

Most learned judge, 180. 

Most rightful judge, 180. 

muddy vesture of decay, 185. 

mutual, 186. 

My deeds upon my head, 178. 

my lord, 158. 

my outside, 154. 

my prayer, 159. 

my time, 127. 

narrow seas, 159. 
naughty, 169, 187. 
Nazarite, 135. 
Nearest his heart, 179. 
Nerissa, 130. 
Nestor, 124. 
nice, 141. 

nor . . . none, 131. 
Not . . . neither, 124. 
not seal, 138. 

obliged, 151. 
obscure, 154. 
Obscures, 164. 
ocean, 122. 
o'erlook'd, 163. 
offence, 176. 
offend and judge, 157. 



204 



INDEX TO NOTES 



offend'st, 177. 

office of discovery, 152. 

offices, 175. 

of my trust, 129. 

old, 183. 

old proverb, 145. 

on, 179. 

one, 128. 

One speak for both, 145. 

only, 155. 

opinion, 126. 

or . . . Or, 128. 

Orpheus, 186. 

ostents, 155. 

over-name, 131. 

pageants, 123. 
Palatine, 131. 
pale, 165. 
parts, 146, 176. 
patch, 150. 
patines, 185. 
Peace, 187. 
peize, 163. 
pent-house, 151. 
perjury on my soul, 179. 
pertains, 166. 
Phoebus, 140. 
pigeons, 151. 
play a part, 125. 
Plucking the grass, 123. 
poet, 186. 
Portia, 130, 174. 
possess'd, 137, 175. 
posy, 188. 
praising of myself, 171. 



preferr'd, 145. 
presage, presages, 166, 128. 
presence, 164. 
presently, 128, 139, 156. 
prest, 128. 
prevented, 125. 
privy, 180. 
prodigal, 160. 
pronounced, 131. 
proper, 132. 
proportion, 170. 
Prove it so, 163. 
publican, 136. 
public place, 134. 
purpose, 179. 
Pythagoras, 176. 

quaint, 171. 

quaintly, 148. 

qualify, 174. 

quality, 162, 178. 

quarrelling with occasion, 172. 

question, 128. 

quiring, 185. 

rails, 136. 
rated, 153. 
reasoned, 155. 
reddest, 140. 
regreets, 158. 
remorse, 175. 
requite him, 132. 
respect, 125, 187. 
respective, 188. 
rhenish, 160. 
Rialto, 135. 



INDEX TO NOTES 



205 



rib, 153. 
ribs, 144. 
ripe wants, 137 
roads, 123. 
royal, 167. 
run, 143. 

sadness, 132. 

sad ostent, 146. 

Salerio, 167. 

sand-blind, 143. 

saving your reverence, 143. 

scanted, 141. 

scarfed, 151. 

Scripture, 138. 

scrubbed, 188. 

Scylla, 172. 

sealed under, 132. 

season, 187. 

season'd, 187. 

seasons, 178. 

self, 128. 

semblance of my soul, 171. 

sensible, 155, 158. 

serve, 142. 

set up my rest, 144. 

sbould, 152. 

shrewd, 167. 

sbrine, 153. 

Shylock, 134. 

Shylock's house, 147. 

Sibylla, 132. 

signiors, 123. 

simple, 146. 

single, 138. 

sings, 185. 



sirrah, 150. 

Sisters Three, 144. 

sitting, 161. 

Slubber, 155. 

smack, 143. 

Sola, sola ! 185. 

some ground, 144. 

something, 127, 147. 

sometimes, 128. 

sonties, 143. 

Sophy, 141. 

sort, 132. 

sort all, 187. 

Sources of the Play, 194. 

speak me fair iu death, 179. 

spirit, 170, 186. 

spirits, 153, 157, 186. 

spoke us, 148. 

squandered, 135. 

stay, 155. 

still, 123, 164. 

stomach, 173. 

straight, 156. 

strained, 178. 

strange, 125. 

Subjects for Themes, 189. 

substance, 166. 

such a thing, 124. 

suit, 147. 

suited, 132, 173. 

suffer, 175. 

sufferance, 138. 

sum of my confession, 163. 

superfluity, 131. 

supposed fairness, 165. 

suspect, 139. 



206 



INDEX TO NOTES 



swan-like end, 163. 
sweet friends, 165. 
synagogue, 161. 

table, 145. 

tailor, 159. 

temper, 131. 

temple, 142. 

ten times, 154. 

that word, 128. 

That therefore only, 126. 

themselves commit, 151. 

think, 176. 

third possessor, 137. 

this, 123. 

Thisbe, 184. 

those ears, Which, 126. 

thought, 123, 124. 

Three thousand ducats, 181. 

thrift, 136. 

To, 155, 188. 

to be abridged, 127. 

to give, 181. 

To make me, 142, 

to think, 124. 

touches, 185. 

tranect, 171. 

treason, 163. 

tried, 158. 

trifle, 181. 

trifle of wives, 146. 

Troilus, 183. 

troth, 130. 

truth, 178. 

tucket, 187. 

twenty, 152. 



twenty miles, 171. 
two hours, 148. 
tyranny, 175, 

unchecked, 159. 

understand me, 162. 

unfurnish'd, 165. 

upon, 154. 

upon the hip, 136. 

usance, 136. 

use, 137, 179. 

Vailing, 123. 
vantage, 166. 
Venice, 121. 
very friends, 167. 
Via, 142. 
vile, 148. 
virgin hue, 153. 
visitation, 177. 
void your rheum, 138. 

want-wit, 122. 
waste, 170. 

watery death-bed, 163. 
wealth, 188. 

weeping philosopher, 131. 
well to live, 143. 
wench, 146. 
were, 138. 
What, 174. 

what wife you will, 158. 
which, 152, 188. 
which doth offer to swear 
a book, 145. 



INDEX TO NOTES 



207 



Which if thou follow, 178 

white, 164. 

who, 141, 152. 

Who if he break, 138. 

Will you coyer, 172. 

wit, 158, 158, 176. 

withal, 153. 

within his danger, 178. 

Within the eye of, 127. 

With purpose, 126. 



would, 126. 
wry-ueck'd, 150. 

Yet, 158, 169. 

You, 156. 

you and I, 168. 

younker, 151. 

your, 154. 

Your daughter, 161. 

your most noble kinsman, 124. 



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American Prose Selections 

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